Indigenous veteran taunted by teens says he tried to ease tensions
High school apologizes for students’ behaviour at Lincoln Memorial
DETROIT— An Indigenous veteran who was seen in online video being taunted outside the Lincoln Memorial said Sunday he felt compelled to get between two groups with his ceremonial drum to defuse a confrontation.
Nathan Phillips said in an interview with The Associated Press that he was trying to keep peace between some Kentucky high school students and a Black religious group that was also on the National Mall on Friday. The students were participating in the March for Life, which drew thousands of antiabortion protesters, and Phillips was attending the Indige- nous Peoples March happening the same day.
“Something caused me to put myself between (them) — it was black and white,” said Phillips, who lives in Ypsilanti, Mich. “What I saw was my country being torn apart. I couldn’t stand by and let that happen.”
Videos show a youth standing very close to Phillips and staring at him as he sang and played the drum. Other students — some in “Make America Great Again” hats and sweatshirts — were chanting, laughing and jeering.
Other videos also showed members of the religious group, who appear to be affiliated with the Black Hebrew Israelite movement, yelling disparaging and profane insults at the students, who taunt them in return. Video also shows the Indigenous people being insulted by the small religious group.
The U.S. Park Police, who have authority for security on the Mall, were not taking calls from media during the partial government shutdown.
In a joint statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington and Covington Catholic High School apologized and said they are investigating and will take “appropriate action, up to and including expulsion.”
“We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips,” the diocese statement read. “This behaviour is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person.”
As of Sunday morning, Covington Catholic’s Facebook page was not available and its Twitter feed was set to private. Calls to the school went unanswered Sunday.