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Mashpee Wampanoag take ‘no stance’ on Israel-Hamas conflict after Palestinian flag raised on their NYC Thanksgiving parade float
“It's unfortunate that we are not focused on the beautiful display of our culture and history at the Macy’s Day Parade but rather on the actions of an individual tribal citizen."
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe said they are remaining neutral on the Israeli-Hamas conflict after a tribal citizen held up a Palestinian flag on their Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float.
“It’s unfortunate that we are not focused on the beautiful display of our culture and history at the Macy’s Day Parade but rather on the actions of an individual tribal citizen,” the tribe said in a statement. “We want to make it very clear that the Tribe takes no stance on the conflicts overseas.”
A young man on their float held up the small flag, which was briefly included in the official NBC broadcast.
The Mashpee Wampanoag is one of the three surviving tribes out of 69 in the Wampanoag Nation, with about 3,200 enrolled citizens. The tribe has land in Taunton and Mashpee.
Israel-Hamas war:
“Our Tribal Nation remains focused on the issues we face on our ancestral homeland. While we cannot speak for an individual’s actions, his actions were not a Tribal decision,” the Tribe’s statement read. “Our governing tribal body, along with the other tribal citizens on the float, were not involved with his actions.”
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The Mashpee Wamapanog’s Powwow Princess Jenaya “Precious Healing Star” Perry also appeared on the float with Mashpee National Environmental Youth Ambassadors.
The Macy’s Day Parade attracted other pro-Palestine demonstrations. ABC News reported that the parade was temporarily stopped when protesters apparently glued themselves to the pavement.
Their sign read “Genocide Then, Genocide Now,” and a TikTok of the demonstration has over 3.5 million views.
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