Decolonizing Thanks Giving: a Virtual Worship Service
Thursday, Nov. 18 at 4:30 PT / 5:30 MT / 6:30 CT / 7:30 ET
Unitarian Universalism’s history, during the Civil War era, is directly connected to the creation of the mythos supporting the US Thanksgiving holiday and the historically inaccurate and harmful colonial narrative of “Pilgrims and the Indians,” and the pageant traditions that perpetuate these harms. In recent years, UUs have made a commitment to reconsider the cultural and colonial foundations of this tradition, in counsel and relationship with First Nations and Indigenous communities. TheHarvest the Power program andThanksgiving Reframed worship service last year were a significant milestone in this effort, and the work of truth-telling, cultural healing, and transformation must continue. This virtual worship service, on Nov. 18th at 4:30 PT / 5:30 MT / 6:30 CT / 7:30 ET, intentionally crafted by centering Indigeous people and cultures, is an invitation to come together in that spirit. This service is presented by many Indigenous Unitarian Universalists in collaboration with Relations from local Tribal Communities, the UU Ministry for Earth & Side With Love.
This program will be available to congregations to use in full (or some parts) for Sunday morning worship programs. Email Aly Tharp for inquiries.
Un-learning Session
Tuesday, Nov. 23 at 1-2:30 PT / 2-3:30 MT / 3-4:30 CT / 4-5:30 ET
Come experience an Un-learning session!
What’s an Un-learning Session, you ask?
Un-learning Sessions are an educational organic environment taking note of Indigenous perspectives as they are applied and adapted to various conversations. This will be done embracing Indigenous modalities, which means we are free to experience no outline and no agenda. Un-learning Sessions are not fixed, rather they’re fluid and dynamic; no two sessions will be alike as the subject matter will be flexible and fluid based on participant input and participation.
Un-learning Sessions invite experiences of other ways of engaging learning and engaging each other as our time together will be guided by questions, thoughts, and participant input. Un-learning Sessions offer ways to access learning through a different lens, which activates a process about how we perceive, understand, and relate to cultures, knowledge, and traditions while we’re learning.
Facilitated by Alan Lechusza Aquallo (Luiseno Nation & Maidu Nation)
Watch Award-Winning Documentary, The Condor & The Eagle
Playing every 15 minutes, Now – November 30, 2021 Suggested $1-100 sliding scale donation (avg. $25; all are welcome to participate in this community screening regardless of ability to donate)
UU Ministry for Earth is partnering with the creators of The Condor & The Eagle for one last big community screening, and you are invited to participate! Click the buttons below to make a contribution &/or watch the film. A pre-recorded panel discussion with the filmmaker Clement Guerra and protagonists from the film will begin playing after the film credits. Spanish and English Closed Captioning subtitles are available.
2021 National Day of Mourning Thursday, Nov. 25 - Beginning at 9am PT / 10 MT / 11 CT / 12pm ET Cole's Hill, Plymouth, MA (hill above Plymouth Rock) Live streaming here
Hosted by the United American Indians of New England
An annual tradition since 1970, Day of Mourning is a solemn, spiritual and highly political day. Many of us fast from sundown the day before through the afternoon of that day. We are mourning our ancestors and the genocide of our peoples and the theft of our lands. NDOM is a day when we mourn, but we also feel our strength in action.
Over the years, participants in Day of Mourning have buried Plymouth Rock a number of times, boarded the Mayflower replica, and placed ku klux klan sheets on the statue of William Bradford, etc.
Please forward this email to friends and fellow congregants who many be interest in joining these events as well. Thank you for being part of this collective faith journey of addressing 400 years of white supremacist colonialism!
