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Un-Thanksgiving

Not all Americans celebrate Thanksgiving; for many native people, it’s a day of sorrow.

In November of 1969, a group of Native Americans occupied the notorious prison island of Alcatraz to protest about federal policies that discriminated against their people. The movement gained momentum on Thanksgiving when hundreds of Native American activists joined the occupation. To this day, every Thanksgiving, Native American groups hold an event on the island that they call Unthanksgiving Day.

Also: We tell the real story of Squanto, the Native American at the centre of the Thanksgiving legend; We look into the history of Native Americans being forcefully separated from their families; We recount the ongoing case of the indigenous Sinixt, a tribe that the Canadian government says doesn’t exist; Finally, we dive deep into a story about the lost language of the Miami tribe.

(The welcome sign at the entrance to Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay Credit: Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images)

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27 minutes

Last on

Mon 26 Nov 2018 09:32GMT

Broadcasts

  • Sat 24 Nov 2018 22:32GMT
  • Sun 25 Nov 2018 04:32GMT
  • Mon 26 Nov 2018 09:32GMT

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