Truthsgiving - Begin a New Tradition + Conversation!

Today is National Day of Mourning.
Today is Truthsgiving.
Today is Thankstaking.
Today, is a day.
Today is an opportunity to be with family because it’s a federal holiday.
Today is a day of resistance.
Today is a day of resilience.
Today is a day of healing.
Today is a day of Indigenous People’s, THRIVING.

We are here to bring awareness, to help inform, to help re-educate with the truth, to bring community together, to help fundraise and support communities continuously putting in the heart work and to help bring a culture shift of change so we have a better future for the next generations. In doing all of this, it begins with coming to terms with our past, history and the foundation that this country was built on.

We aren’t here to shame you.

We hope you continue to come to our space and learn. Digest. Process. Unlearn. Learn do better. And be a good relative.Today, you can still be with family and enjoy this day. There’s plenty of room for today, to create new traditions, learn the truth, begin these conversations at the table, appreciate and respect Indigenous Peoples. And continue to grow. We love and appreciate all the support! Be safe.

WHAT’S NEXT - WHAT’S NEW:
+ 5th Annual Truthsgiving 4 mile + 2 mile: November 27-30th!
+ NEW MERCH - Rising Hearts singlets + Truthsgiving Shirts with Bakline!!! See below
+ Shop the Rising Hearts store - all priced mark downs plus $10 shipping

Truthsgiving 4 + 2 miler

TRUTH YOU SHOULD KNOW

We first need to acknowledge that the very foundation of so called, United States of America began with genocide, disease, wars, pillage, violence, rape, and enslavement since 1492. We must recognize that Indigenous Peoples were enslaved and stolen from our very own homelands to Europe and other places around the world (Tisquantum Squanto was enslaved twice, escaped from Europe) before slavery was brought here to North America - stealing thousands of Black People from their own homelands to help build the Nation and economy we don't benefit from today.

Due to the abundance of false narratives of Native people and inaccurate information in school textbooks, there is a certain lens that we are viewed through. These opinions and beliefs are rooted in discriminatory behaviors and attitude that are continuously perpetuated through systemic racism and white supremacy. This day is another holiday, like Columbus Day and Halloween, and other narratives, that is problematic and harmful to Indigenous people – where these holidays normalize the stereotypes and racism we continuously experience.

And please note, first contact Indigenous communities felt the impact of colonization quickly and for longer duration, whose kindness was taken for granted through acts of violence and more. Those impacts are still felt to this day and across all Indigenous communities.

This holiday is connected to the violent religious ideologies that have harmed Indigenous Peoples like the Manifest Destiny and Doctrine of Discovery. Both of which, many Indigenous Peoples are advocating to rescind/remove them and some Denominations and Faith leaders have removed it from their teachings and have recognized the harm it has caused.

The Mashpee Wampanoag people, “People of the first light” and their ancestral lands are present day MA/Cape Cod. They lived in wigwams and longhouses, spoke Algonquian and were fishers, farmers, and hunters.

Tisquantum Squanto befriended the Pilgrims and helped show them how to survive. The Pilgrims celebrated their first harvest which included gunfire and a feast – this alerted the Wampanoags, thinking there was an attack, so they came to check in on them and to protect their own relatives.

Then the narrative of the “Pilgrims and Indians peacefully eating together” was birthed due to Abraham Lincoln (who by the way is guilty for the largest mass execution by hanging in U.S. history of 38 Dakota men, followed by 2 more on Christmas, known as the Dakota 38+2) wanting to promote peaceful unity during the Civil War. Ever since, 400 years ago, this day/feast/celebration represents MOURNING AND GENOCIDE.

MOURNING INSTEAD OF CELEBRATION:
This celebration was proclaimed by Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in commemoration of 700 Penobscot people (including children) were massacred as they were celebrating their annual Green Corn Dance. Sadly, this led to their lands being stolen, wars, genocide, disease, boarding schools and forced assimilation. After this declared celebration, it lead to the beheading of a Wampanoag Chief where they displayed his head for 20+ years. And we know how this expanded across the lands we once had full protection of from East to West. The trauma is still present to this day. STILL HEALING. However, thriving in existence today in who they are and their efforts to preserve, protect, and create a pathway for the next generations.

#STANDWITHMASHPEE
In 2018, Trump stole the Mashpee Wampanoag lands – on “Thanksgiving” day, and have been in ongoing battles to reclaim their recognition/reservation status and more attempts to steal their lands and sovereignty since.

March of 2020 – they learned that the Bureau of Indian Affairs would be rescinding their reservation designation and removing the 321 acres of land from the federal trust. A federal Judge ruled that in favor of the Tribe and halted the government’s attempt. However, the government is appealing.

They are reclaiming and reviving their language that hasn’t had a fluent speaker for over 150 years with their Wopanoa8aok Language Reclamation Project – http://www.wlrp.org.

2024 5TH TRUTHSGIVING Virtual 4 + 2 miler

The unfortunate first contact between the Wampanoag and European colonizers in 1621 would be the beginning of a centuries-long legacy of colonial violence. A white myth written off as a friendly feast celebrating the union of “Indians” and pilgrims was actually a violent encroachment by colonizers on Indigenous lands. Colonizers who came ashore with disease and savage ways of being, overhunted the wildlife, mismanaged the land, and resorted to murder and cannibalism to survive. In a near state of total starvation, colonizers were fed by the true stewards of the land. The favor would never be returned. Instead, the beginning of a genocide project would ensue where the majority of Indigenous peoples in the coastal areas of Turtle Island would be wiped out from murder and colonizer-brought diseases. It was not until 1637, that the Massachusetts Bay Governor would proclaim a celebration in the name of God for the massacre of 700 Pequot people. A feast would be had for the success of manifest destiny, a white supremacist wet dream, wherein white people advance a racist agenda of eradication and enslavement of Black and Indigenous people.

In 2020, the colonial project has evolved beyond the power of 13 colonies into a system that extracts and exploits finite resources, encourages state-sanctioned executions, trafficks people of the global majority into for-profit prisons, violates treaties, and denies aid amidst a pandemic that is disproportionately killing Black and Indigenous peoples. Truthsgiving will be a day of mourning, a grounding in our collective survival, and a commitment to never again feed what kills.

The colonial holiday, Thanksgiving 2024 is right around the corner, during a month that acknowledges Native American / Indigenous people – Native American Heritage Month. We first need to acknowledge that the very foundation of Turtle Island (North America), so-called, the United States of America began with genocide, disease, wars, pillage, violence, rape, and enslavement since 1492. Then we must recognize and acknowledge that our Black relatives were forcibly removed from their homelands, enslaved, and brought to the islands in the Caribbean and to North and South America. The foundation of this country, was off the genocide of Indigenous Peoples, attempts to completely eradicate our ancestors and stole our lands that were governed by our own relatives as Sovereign Nations. This country was built by enslaved Black people. Both of our communities have experienced these similar traumas and injustice due to colonization, white supremacy, systemic oppression, and racism – all mechanisms we still experience to this day.

We would like to present you with a new perspective of what Thanksgiving means and represents. Due to the abundance of false narratives of Native people and inaccurate information in school textbooks, there is a certain lens that we are viewed through. These opinions and beliefs are rooted in discriminatory behaviors and attitudes that are continuously perpetuated through systemic racism and white supremacy. This day is another holiday, like Columbus Day and Halloween, and other narratives, that is problematic and harmful to Native people. Native relatives and allies are taking the steps needed to correct this narrative, to decolonize these holidays and expose the truth about these holidays so that we can remove them, replace them, and perhaps, celebrate Native people and accomplishments rather than being constantly reminded of these injustices and historical trauma. We can’t continue to romanticize and normalize racism and the stereotypes that exist for Native people. So, please, we encourage you to take a deep breath, come to this space with an open mind, learn something new, and become an ally to our communities.

Join the RISING HEARTS virtual team (6 participants will be selected to win a free pair of On Running shoes and other swag).

Add the Indigenous lands you're on to your bib!

2024 Truthsgiving shirts are available - PURCHASE by 11/13, to receive in time for the event. Orders made after, will be printed and shipped on a daily basis.

BUY YOURS NOW!

Tuscarora WoodWorks Medals

First 25 registrants for the 2 mile and 4 mile!

Hand crafted wooden medals by Tuscarora Woodworks, 50 available for a $15 donation that contributes to the overall donations to Beneficiaries!

Medals are handmade by Tuscarora WoodWorks: www.tuscarorawoodworks.com

For BEST CHANCES to receive your medal by 11/27:

Enter your current shipping address correctly (and include your apartment or suite number if applicable)
Be sure to make your purchase before 11/18/24
Any purchase after that, will go out as soon as possible.

Fast deliveries are dependent on accurate information. Weather or rerouting delays can happen, so we thank you for your understanding!

About Tuscarora WoodWorks:

Tuscarora WoodWorks is an Indigenous owned and operated business located on the sovereign territory of the Tuscarora People. We have been in operation since 2013 and continue to grow to meet the needs of our clients. We specialize in unique Native art and craft items. Most everything is made right here in our shop, but we do carry items made by other Haudenosaunee people across Haudenosaunee Country.

At Tuscarora WoodWorks, we craft more than products; we share the stories and heritage of the Haudenosaunee people. Rooted in the values of unity, tradition, and sustainability, we aim to honor our ancestors while supporting the future of our community. From engraved lacrosse sticks to Tuscarora Raised Beadwork, every piece we create is a reflection of our deep connection to the land, culture, and craftsmanship passed down through generations. Through our work, we preserve cultural traditions, empower future generations, and share the beauty of our artistry with the world, promoting a message of peace, respect, and friendship.

1.) Rising Hearts Singlet (Color: Black | McCarren Original Singlet STR)
2.) Rising Hearts Singlet (Color: Black | McCarren Original Singlet CON))
3.) Rising Hearts Crop Singlet (Color: Black | Sunset Crop CON)
4.) You Are Loved tee (supporting the fundraising efforts for the Rising Hearts x Urban Indigenous Collective, You Are Loved community grant program) (Heathered Tee STR | Color: Heather Sunset)
5.) Running On Native Lands Hoodies: Blue and Cream (uni-fit | Cotton Cloud Hoodie STR)

RIsing hearts backline Collection