”I think we live in an industrial dimensional reality where we’re programmed to believe what we’re told. We’re programmed to believe what that ruling class wants us to believe.” – John Trudell, writer, poet, and activist.
Indigenous people are not trying to ruin the holiday of so-called Thanksgiving and disrupt family celebrations, but the so-called first thanksgiving was not a friendly meal.
Wamsutta Frank James, a Wampanoag man, met with a group of supporters atop Coles Hill in Plymouth Massachusetts on Nov. 27, 1970 to commemorate the first National Day of Mourning.
The United American Indians of New England declared it an annual tradition since 1970.
We share the words of Wamsutta Frank James’ granddaughter, Keisha James, speaking on the annual National Day of Mourning in 2023 at Coles Hill (above Plymouth Rock) in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
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Immigration has dominated the US election season. But what do the people who are Indigenous to the land have to say about who is “illegal” and who isn’t? AJ+ shares some of those voices.
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The United Fruit Co. (now Chiquita Brands International) is nicknamed El Pulpo – Spanish for “the octopus” – because it formed a vast and bloody empire stretching across Central and South American countries. Its blood-stained history involved the U.S.-backed coup in Guatemala ushering in Guatemala’s horrific history of human rights abuses and genocide against the indigenous Mayan people. Thousands of Colombians whose family members were murdered by Chiquita-funded death squads have been seeking justice from the banana giant. On June 10, 2024, in a groundbreaking verdict, a US court found Chiquita liable. Mimi Rosenberg, host of WBAI’s Building Bridges radio show, spoke with Prof. Terry Karl from the EarthRights team that has been working on this case since July 2007.
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WPFW, our sister Pacifica Station in Washington DC honored Indigenous People’s Day this year with all day special Indigenous programming calling it Unpacking Indigeneity from 9am to 7pm. Thanks to them for the special honoring Indigenous People’s Day.
We share part of an interview from Unpacking Indigeneity with historian and writer Roxanne Dunbar Ortiz which aired on the Africa Now program with Tasneem Seddiqui about Ortiz’ book, “Loaded, A Disarming History of the Second Amendment”.
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We thank all of Pacifica’s sister stations and affiliates who contribute to the production of this show. Today’s program was produced and hosted by Jacquelyn Battise, and co-produced by Akua Holt and the Capitalism, Race & Democracy collective. Our sound engineer is Polina Vasiliev. Special thanks to Mimi Rosenberg and Tasneem Seddiqui.
You can find this and all previous episodes at our website “capitalism race and democracy dot ORG”. Make sure you click the subscribe button. Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @PacificaCRD.
Thanks for listening!
Music:
John Trudell, “Listening/Honor Song”
Harry Belafonte, “Banana Boat Song”
