Unthanksgiving Day
Thursday, November 26, 2026
Unthanksgiving Day, also known as the National Day of Mourning and Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony, is held annually on the fourth Thursday of November, coinciding with the American Thanksgiving holiday. The observance serves as a counter-commemoration to the traditional Thanksgiving narrative, highlighting the perspective of Native American peoples and acknowledging the genocide, displacement, and cultural destruction suffered by Indigenous communities following European colonization of the Americas. The most prominent Unthanksgiving Day event is the Indigenous Peoples Sunrise Ceremony on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, which began in 1975 and continues annually. Organized by Indigenous activists and allied organizations, the ceremony reclaims the Thanksgiving holiday as a day of remembrance, resistance, and resilience rather than celebration. The event brings together members of numerous tribal nations for prayer, drumming, dancing, and political activism aimed at raising awareness about the ongoing struggles of Indigenous peoples in the United States and beyond.
History
The Unthanksgiving Day tradition traces its roots to the 1969 occupation of Alcatraz Island by the Indians of All Tribes, a group of Native American activists from multiple tribal nations. The occupation lasted 19 months, from November 1969 to June 1971, and brought national attention to Indigenous rights issues. During the occupation, organizers held a Sunrise Ceremony on Thanksgiving morning 1970 to protest the holiday's traditional narrative and to honor Native ancestors. After the occupation ended, the ceremony continued as an annual tradition organized by the International Indian Treaty Council and American Indian Cultural Center. The first official sunrise ceremony on the island after the occupation was held in 1975, drawing hundreds of participants from tribes across North America. The event has grown steadily, and each year activists use the gathering to address contemporary issues affecting Indigenous communities, including treaty rights, environmental justice, cultural preservation, and missing and murdered Indigenous women. Similar National Day of Mourning gatherings are held in Plymouth, Massachusetts, at the site of the Plymouth Colony.
How It's Celebrated
Unthanksgiving Day on Alcatraz Island begins before dawn with a sunrise ceremony featuring traditional Native American prayers, drumming, and singing. Participants gather on the eastern shore of the island to face the rising sun, offering prayers for ancestors and for future generations. Tribal elders lead spiritual ceremonies, and representatives from different nations share messages of unity and resistance. The ceremony includes a traditional meal shared among participants, often consisting of Indigenous foods. Throughout the day, attendees engage in educational workshops, political discussions, and cultural demonstrations including traditional dances and storytelling. Many participants travel by ferry from San Francisco's Pier 33. The event is free and open to the public, drawing Indigenous people from across the Americas as well as non-Native allies who wish to show solidarity and learn about Indigenous history and perspectives.