Native American activists and allies gathered in Washington on Friday for the Indigenous Peoples March – just days after President Donald joked on Twitter about a Native American massacre. Toward the end of the powerful rally, however, a group of non-Native teen boys wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats accosted and taunted a Native elder. Video of the incident has been widely-shared online and, understandably, has sparked outrage.
This MAGA loser gleefully bothering a Native American protestor at the Indigenous Peoples March.
Talia (@2020fight) January 19, 2019
The video shows one of the teen boys standing right in the face of a Native elder, as others are seen chanting and taunting around him. Indian Country Today reports that the elder in question is Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder who is also a veteran of the Vietnam War and the former director of the Native Youth Alliance. One attendee who shared video of the incident on Instagram wrote that she was “pushed and laughed at by teenage boys who grew up to believe that their lives are more important than ours.”
Another post describing the incident reads, in part: “As we tried to move through the crowd, they closed in tighter around us, and wouldn’t allow anyone to pass. It was obvious that they wanted any excuse for the day to turn violent. They repeatedly ‘bumped’ into us, trying to agitate people into confrontation. But instead, the very few of us left stood quietly, trying to remain calm. I was seething with anger and rage and disappointment. I was so confused about why these boys would go out of their way to harass such a small, vulnerable group.”
Although parents and chaperones were present, multiple witnesses on social media say they did nothing to intervene.
In a separate video, Phillips is seen speaking out about the incident. “I heard them saying, ‘Build that wall. Build that wall,’” he said. “You know, this is indigenous land. We’re not supposed to have walls here. We never did for millennia, before anybody else came here.” He also said he wishes that he could take the “energy” of the young man who accosted him and put that into “making this country really great, helping those that are hungry.”
Rep. Deb Haaland, who recently became one of the first Native American women to be elected to Congress, condemned the incident on Twitter. “This Veteran put his life on the line for our country. The students’ display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking,” she wrote.
This Veteran put his life on the line for our country. The students’ display of blatant hate, disrespect, and intolerance is a signal of how common decency has decayed under this administration. Heartbreaking.
Congresswoman Deb Haaland (@RepDebHaaland) January 19, 2019