Catholic school teens under fire for mocking a Native American elder

By Natalie Grim and Storyful

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January 19, 2019 04:31 PM EST

WASHINGTON (CIRCA via STORYFUL) — A Kentucky boys' school is receiving backlash after videos of students mocking a Native American demonstration in Washington, D.C., went viral online.

The young men were on a field trip from Covington Catholic High School for the March for Life, protesting abortion, which coincided with the Indigenous Peoples March. Footage from the incident at the Lincoln Memorial shows a group of teenagers mocking an Omaha elder, Nathan Phillips, as he drums. Phillips is the director of the Native Youth Alliance and a veteran of the Vietnam War.

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this is our reality. 2019. a swarm of young, unattended Trump supporters gathered to cause a scene, disrespect our cultures, and put fear into us. i was pushed and laughed at by teenage boys who grew up to believe their lives are more important than ours. they shouted things like “Gone in 2020” and mocked us. i am still in shock. i don’t know what to say other than that i’m sad and deeply shaken. this is our reality. 2019. . . . . . . EDIT: i do not intend to discount your fear, anger, and upset, but please keep in mind these boys are of high school age. i am tired, i am upset, and i am overwhelmed, but all i wish is for these boys to be reprimanded by their schools, parents, and friends. i posted this with the intention to spread the reality of being indigenous in 2019. we did not meet these boys with violence for a reason. mvto for the support.

A post shared by autumn rain (@earthchores) on Jan 18, 2019 at 4:20pm PST

Hunter Hooligan, who shot footage of the incident, says the boys crowded around the group of marchers for about 10 to 15 minutes. He said he wasn't aware of any chaperone present until a woman came forward once police were called.

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This is how things began with the boys of Covington Catholic High School (they have since deleted their Instagram) and their MAGA hat wearing goons at the Indigenous Peoples March. Apparently the boys were there originally to support and bolster a pro-life protest. 🤨🙃 However, after their own protest concluded, they surrounded the few of us left lingering from the Indigenous Peoples’ March and rally and pretty immediately began mocking the singing and drumming. 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. Parents and chaperones stood on the sidelines, choosing not to intervene or reign back the group. Make no mistake, these boys were not there to experience a cultural exchange or to support the cause for which we gathered. Their mockery was an attempt to distract and demoralize the last remaining members of the rally. They chanted “build the wall,” “Gone in 2020.” The implications of these statements are chilling, to say the least. I ask the school, their parents, and ultimately our society: What actions of discipline are we taking in order to teach these “young men” that this behavior is unacceptable in the world we wish to build? People called the police on your boys because onlookers feared what the boys might do to the 10 of us remaining on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Thanks to @earthchores and @ka_ya11 for also documenting this episode. Feel free to tag your favorite media outlets (especially indigenous owned and operated), repost and share! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #indigenous #indigenouspeople #indigenouspeoplesday #indigenouspeoplesmarch #indigenouspeoplesmarch2019 #cchcolonels #covingtoncatholichighschool #trump #maga #dc #catholic #christian #god

A post shared by ᏰᎧᎩᎶᎧᎴᎴᏋᏕᏕ (@hunterhooligan) on Jan 19, 2019 at 7:59am PST

At the time this story was posted, the Covington Catholic High School's website had been shut down and its Twitter account locked.

A statement reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer from the high school and Diocese of Covington says:

"We condemn the actions of the Covington Catholic High School students towards Nathan Phillips specifically, and Native Americans in general, Jan. 18, after the March for Life, in Washington, D.C. We extend our deepest apologies to Mr. Phillips. This behavior is opposed to the Church’s teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person."

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Native American

Protests

Racism

Washington, D.C.

Teen

Students

Donald Trump

Politics

About the Author

Natalie Grim

Live Programming Producer

Natalie is a Multimedia Journalist and Weekend Show Host for Circa. She is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in broadcast journalism. While there, she reported and an...