Video by Kevin Abourezk
An Omaha tribal elder and veteran was surrounded and harassed Friday in Washington, D.C., during the Indigenous Peoples March by a group of nearly 30 high school students, many wearing “Make America Great Again” gear.
Nathan Phillips, a former director of the Native Youth Alliance, was singing the American Indian Movement song and drumming on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when one of the students walked up to him and
stood face-to-face with Phillips, smirking and taunting him.
The incident – posted by several marchers and others on social media – generated an outpouring of criticism among many prominent Native activists and leaders.
The high school students were in D.C. to take part in the March for Life, an anti-abortion rally.
This is a developing story. More information will be posted about the incident and the response.
Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips is an elder from the Omaha Tribe. Last summer, he participated in a corn planting ceremony in Nebraska. He is seen in these two photos performing a grass dance and a drum song at a farm near Neligh.
Photos by Kevin Abourezk
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