All Imperial Cultures Seem to Celebrate the Massacres of Indigenous Peoples... as part of their Mythology

"Thanksgiving Day was first officially proclaimed by the governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1637 to commemorate the massacre of 700 Indian men, women and children who were celebrating their annual green corn dance – Thanksgiving Day to them – in their own house," William Newell, 84, said recently. "Gathered in this place of meeting they were attacked by mercenaries and english and dutch. The Indians were ordered from the building and as they came forth they were shot down. The rest were burned alive in the building," he said. Newell based his research on studies of Holland documents and the 13-volume colonial Documentary History, both thick sets of letters and reports from colonial officials to their superiors and the king in England, and the private papers of sir William Johnson, British Indian agent for New York colony for 36 years in the mid 1600's. Newell, a Penobscot Indian, has degrees from Syracruse and the University of Pennsylvania and is a former chairman of the University of Connecticut Anthropology department. Based on this information, a nationwide call for a "National Day of Mourning" is being called to those individuals who support this effort in truth. We hope that many of you who read this join us in a day of prayer and fast for healing

ANOTHER Version: The year was 1637.....700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe, gathered for their "Annual Green Corn Dance" in the area that is now known as Groton, Conn. While they were gathered in this place of meeting, they were surrounded and attacked by mercernaries of the English and Dutch. The Indians were ordered from the building and as they came forth, they were shot down. The rest were burned alive in the building. The next day, the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared : "A day of Thanksgiving, thanking God that they had eliminited over 700 men, women and children. For the next 100 years, every "Thanksgiving Day" ordained by a Governor or President was to honor that victory, thanking God that the battle had been won.

Source: Documents of Holland, 13 Volume Colonial Documentary History, letters and reports form colonial officials to their superiors and the King in England and the private papers of Sir William Johnson, Britsh Indian agent for the New York colony for 30 years. Researched by William B. Newell (Penobscot Tribe) Former Chairman of the University of Connecticut Anthropology Department.

The Thanksgiving holiday we now recognize started when President Abraham Lincoln revived the celebration of this atrocity. ed.