We Mourn, We Resist: National Day Of Mourning 2024

The International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL) joins the National Day of Mourning, standing in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, Native Americans and First Nations resisting centuries of colonial oppression.

Every year since 1970, “Thanksgiving day” is marked as National Day of Mourning to serve “as a reminder of the violent dispossession of Indigenous lands, cultures, and lives—a legacy of imperialism that continues to shape their struggles for sovereignty and self-determination.”

This is a day to speak about historical justice and reclaim Indigenous Peoples history.

This is also a day to honor our Native ancestors and the struggles of Indigenous Peoples to survive today. As we conclude the International Indigenous Peoples Heroes Day, it is most fitting to chant the names of our warriors and modern-day activists embodying the unbroken spirit of Indigenous Peoples resistance. Their sacrifices inspire ongoing struggles for justice, sovereignty, and liberation.

Our Native American heroes’ lives highlight how we must commemorate this day by remebering and resisting the genocide of millions of their people, the colonial occupation and theft of their lands, the relentless assault on lives and cultures, discrimination and state neglect.

This political climate is not new, both for Native Americans and the Indigenous Peoples across the globe, but a continuation of imperialist projects designed to marginalize and exploit. Across the globe, movements are demanding not only the recognition of historical atrocities but also an end to ongoing colonization in its many forms—land grabs, militarization, and economic domination.

That is why this day has also been a day of Indigenous Peoples international solidarity against the genocide of Mayan peoples in Guatemala, the fight against the imperialist war in Vietnam, Iraq and Northern Ireland, against apartheid in South Africa, in unity with the Palestinian peoples struggle, for political prisoners and for climate justice.

With the rise of authoritarian and ultranationalist leaders comes intensified attacks on Indigenous communities, fueled by policies that prioritize racial discrimination, corporate greed, environmental destruction, and the erosion of Indigenous rights.

Let us stand with our Native Americans struggle against any threats to roll back policies that protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and all attempts to disrespect and dishonor Tribal Nations and their sovereignty.

On this National Day of Mourning, let us remember, we will “mourn, but we also feel our strength in action and solidarity.” Let us celebrate our unity in the struggle for self-determination and forge a future free from the unjust system of imperialist supremacy, settler colonialism, and exploitation.

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