As millions of people across the United States celebrate Thanksgiving, Rihanna wanted to take the time to remind her followers to keep in mind the many Native Americans who are "in mourning" today.
"Some are celebrating today…many are in mourning," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "Sending love to all my Native American brothers and sisters."
Every fourth Thursday of November, Thanksgiving is held in the United States. It's on this day that the National Day of Mourning also takes place.
It started in 1970, when the Commonwealth of Massachusetts planned on holding an event celebrating the 350th anniversary of the arrival of the Pilgrims to North America. Wampanoag leader Wamsutta/Frank James was invited to deliver a speech on Thanksgiving Day about relations between Wampanoag and the settlers.
When the planners discovered that James would be talking about the unjust treatment of the Native people of America, his invitation was revoked. Refusing to be silenced, James walked over to the Massasoit Statue, a sculpture honoring the leader of the Wampanoags when the Pilgrims landed in their territory, and delivered his speech.
