Special Vigil

As in the past, we will be holding a special vigil on the morning of Thanksgiving Day as an opportunity to be in solidarity with the indigenous people upon whose ancestral land our church stands.

We meet, worship, engage in activities and enjoy fellowship on the traditional land of the Wampanoag people who live among us to this day.  We seek to be good neighbors and allies in their continued struggle to be seen and respected.  We acknowledge that the day known as “Thanksgiving,” while representing a beginning for the Pilgrims and those who followed, was in reality the ending of a way of life for those who had called this land home for 12,000 years.  Their descendants are still here.  We stand in honor of this truth and support their ongoing efforts to reclaim their land, culture, language, religious ceremonies and right to their own sovereignty.

Following the church vigil, some of us will be travelling on to Plymouth in observance of the National Day of Mourning held at the top of Cole’s Hill near the statue of Massasoit. Each year more and more non-native allies attend this event as the truth of our history is uncovered and the desire to make reparations for the past grows.  We invite you to join us at this event as well. Surely justice should begin with our First Nations and extend outward to all people living here on Turtle Island. The event starts at noon.  Alternatively, it will be livestreamed on Facebook on the UAINE site. It is very informative and enlightening.  All are welcome at one or both events.