An American School Apologizes to Students Mocking an Old Native American | New



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An American diocese apologized and pledged to take action after streaming videos showing boys from a Catholic private school making fun of an old Native American man at the time of the day. 39, a rally in Washington, DC, prompting much criticism.

The march of Indigenous Peoples in Washington coincided on Friday with the March for Life, which drew thousands of anti-abortion protesters, including a group from Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky.

Videos circulating online show a young man observing and standing very close to Nathan Phillips, a 64-year-old American who sings and plays drums.

Other students, some wearing Covington branded clothing and others wearing hats and sweatshirts "Make America Great Again", surrounded them, singing, laughing and mocking. A student wearing clothing from the Owensboro Catholic High School was also present.

In a joint statement, the Covington Roman Catholic Diocese and Covington Catholic High School apologized to Phillips. Officials said they were investigating and taking "appropriate measures, up to deportation".

"We offer our sincerest apologies to Mr. Phillips," reads the statement. "This behavior is contrary to the teachings of the Church on the dignity and respect of the human person."

Stolen Earth

According to the website "Indian Country Today", Phillips is an Omaha elder and a veteran of Vietnam who holds an annual interview. Ceremony Honoring Native American Veterans at Arlington National Cemetery

Marcus Frejo, a member of the Pawnee and Seminole Tribes, also known as Imc Chief Quese, said that it was part of the march and was part of a small group of people. he remained after the rally when rambunctious students began to chant slogans such as "Make America great", and then started making the haka, a traditional Maori dance.

Frejo told the Associated Press news agency that he had the impression of making fun of the dance and heckling. Two black men nearby.

"When I was singing, I heard them say" build this wall, build that wall, "Phillips said, while he wiped tears in a video posted on Instagram. "These are aboriginal lands, we are not supposed to have walls here, we have never done them."

In another video posted on Twitter, a protester from the March of Aboriginal Peoples shouts: "It's not because you stole the land that you stole it." , "answered by a student wearing the Owensboro Catholic High School logo:" We steal land, that's how it works. That's the way of the world. "

Frejo said that he had joined Phillips to defuse the situation, singing the hymn of the American Indian movement with the two men beating the tempo

Although he feared a mob mentality that might become ugly, Frejo said he was at peace singing despite contempt. something special was happening as they repeated the melody several times

"They started making fun of us and laughing at us singing with us. I've heard it three times, "said Frejo." That spirit went through us, this drum, and it slowly started to cross some of these young people. "

Finally, a calm will settle on the group of students and they parted and went away.

A "heartbreaking" display

State Representative, Ruth Buffalo, legislator in the North Dakota and member of the Mandan Nation, Hidatsa and Arikara, said she was saddened to see students disrespecting a former US military from what was supposed to be a celebration of all cultures. [19659004] "The behavior shown in this video is just a glimpse of what Indigenous peoples have been and continue to face," said Buffalo.

She hoped that this would lead to a kind of meeting with students to teach. US Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico, a member of the Pueblo de Laguna who had attended the rally earlier in the day, used Twitter to sharply criticize what she called a "heartbreaking" manifestation of "hate flagrant, lack of respect and intolerance ".

Haaland, also a Catholic, told AP that she was particularly saddened to see the boys making fun of an elder, revered in Native American culture. She blamed part of the blame on President Donald Trump, who used Indian names such as Pocahontas as an insult.

"It is unfortunate that we have a president who uses the names of Native American women as racial slurs, and this is an example these children clearly follow, considering the fact that they wore their hats" Make America Great Again Haaland said, "He really brought out the worst in people."

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