PENNSYLVANIA — State Representative Chris Rabb, D-Phila., is championing legislation that would officially recognize the National Day of Mourning in Pennsylvania. The proposed holiday serves as a counter-commemoration to Thanksgiving, honoring Indigenous ancestors and celebrating Native resilience.
Rabb highlighted that the National Day of Mourning, which has been observed since 1970, acknowledges the darker aspects of colonial history. “Thanksgiving has traditionally celebrated Pilgrims and other European settlers taking possession of Indigenous lands in North America,” said Rabb. “Yet, Indigenous peoples across the nation continue to fight for their rights, mourn the loss of Indigenous life and culture, protest against racism and oppression, and celebrate the resiliency of Native people.”
The lawmaker pointed out several historical instances of oppression towards Native peoples in Pennsylvania. These include the 1763 Conestoga massacre, the 1782 Gnadenhutten massacre, and the inception of federally run Native boarding schools at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which aimed to exterminate Native culture and enforce Americanization on Indigenous children until its closure in 1918.
Rabb’s resolution seeks to honor the perspective of Native peoples and highlight the genocide of their people, the theft of their lands, and the assault on their culture by recognizing the National Day of Mourning in Pennsylvania.
“We have the responsibility to recognize the shameful treatment of Native peoples in Pennsylvania, join them in mourning the loss of their cultures, and celebrate their resilience in the face of oppression,” Rabb affirmed. He urged his fellow Pennsylvanians to remember the full history of the nation and join in the continued fight towards justice and harmony.
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