Tall Oak Weeden

National Day of Mourning, 1970

In 1970, on the 350th anniversary of the Pilgrim landing at Plymouth Rock, Frank James, of the Aquinnah Wampanoag was asked by Governor Francis Sargent to write and give a speech at the ceremony. However, once James shared his speech with officials, they deemed it was "too aggressive and too extreme." This censorship angered local Indigenous people and helped to spark the creation of the National Day of Mourning.

Inspired to act by the decision of the government officials, Tall Oak gathered several other Indigenous activists from the region including Frank James. The six originally planned their gathering to take place in Jamestown, Virginia, but later decided to hold it in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where the Mayflower landed and a statue of Ousamequin stands, overlooking Plymouth Harbor. Their biggest objective was to make sure the event remained peaceful, part of their mission was to enhance the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on Cape Cod.

The first National Day of Mourning was held on Thanksgiving 1970. Almost five hundred Native Americans from across the country gathered in support to hear James give a speech.

Personal Everett Weeden married Patricia Turner Weeden (Mashpee Wampanoag). Everett Weeden's grandson is Brian Weeden, the chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.