A group of high school students from Kentucky’s Covington Catholic High School sparked online outrage when they harassed and mocked participants in the Indigenous People’s March in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 18.
In a series of viral videos making rounds across social media, the students from can be seen chanting and tomahawk-chopping the air around men playing hand drums and singing.
Here’s a woman who was attending the march describing what happened in her own words. pic.twitter.com/2bKvvzONEw
— Simar (@sahluwal) January 19, 2019
via Complex:
Many of the students were wearing Donald Trump‘s “Make America Great Again” merchandise, including one teenager who stepped in front of the drummer and stood inches away from him throughout the song. The school was in D.C. to take part in a pro-life protest on the National Mall when they crossed paths with the march.
The school has set all of its social media accounts to private. Laura Keener, the communications director of the Archdiocese of Covington, released a short statement on the incident on Saturday.
“We are just now learning about this incident and regret it took place. We are looking into it,” she said.
The incident comes days after Donald Trump used the term “Pocahontas” and the Wounded Knee massacre to mock Senator Elizabeth Warren on Twitter.
One of the indigenous people being harassed in the clip is Omaha elder Nathan Phillips, who served in the Vietnam War.
Nathan Phillips addressed the altercation and explained why he was singing. He also shared how he internalized what had just happened to him.
His name is Nathan Phillips. A Vietnam veteran. Here he speaks about the incident.
“I wish I could see that energy, of that mass of young men, making this country really, really, great… Helping those that are hungry.”
Video Via @LeMeTellUSumtin pic.twitter.com/ven8Z034kF
— Greg Hogben (@MyDaughtersArmy) January 19, 2019
Those outraged have put pressure on Covington Catholic High School to enact punishment on the boys. We’d encourage anyone reading this to do the same.
Apparently @CovCathColonels has now also taken their phone offline. You can email Bob Rowe, the Principal of the school, at [email protected].
— Simar (@sahluwal) January 19, 2019
Here’s a list of corporations that sponsor @CovCathColonels. pic.twitter.com/4zCgm113EF
— Simar (@sahluwal) January 19, 2019
Or here is more info … pic.twitter.com/uFVc7zBu7A
— The CannaPower Foundation (@DocHalston) January 19, 2019
