Two prominent figures in the Plymouth Colony described it as a three-day feast and celebration of the harvest, attended by the colonists and a group of Wampanoag Native Americans and their leader Massasoit.

“I personally think that it’s just another reminder of all the horrible things that this nation has done to not only us, but all native people,” the Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, 29 year-old Brian Weeden, tells TIME of that “first” Thanksgiving, adding that he and his tribe still feel largely forgotten.

“For this nation to right a lot of their wrongs, they’re gonna have to own up to their racism, which they don’t want to do.”.

On May 16, Weeden became the youngest person elected chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag, which boasts about 2,600 enrolled citizens and is headquartered in Mashpee, Massachusetts.

TIME talked to Weeden about Native American Thanksgivings, the biggest issues the tribe faces today—and why it is still struggling to hold onto its land 400 years later?

How does it feel to be the chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag on Thanksgiving.

What’s the biggest issue the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe is currently facing.

The biggest issues facing the Mashpee tribe right now are with our land, the health and general welfare of our tribal citizens, and climate change and environmental impacts.

Had people listened to us, I don’t think we’d be in the situation that we are in with global warming and everything else.

But I think the biggest [singular] struggle right now for our tribe is our struggle with the federal government, which has been a battle for over 400 years.

Everyone wants to talk about Native American Heritage Month and Thanksgiving.

So I think a lot of people don’t realize [when they sit down for their Thanksgiving meal that] they’re partaking in foods that are from this area.

And I think that that’s also important for people to understand: every day you wake up, you’re thankful that you woke up