Apparently the white man not only stole his people’s land, now a white kid has stolen his narrative and Native American activist Nathan Phillips is not happy.
Speaking to the Cincinnati Enquirer about the controversial incident in Washington, D.C., last Friday involving Phillips and several fellow Native American activists and a large group of Covington Catholic High School boys, Phillips whined that the boy he engaged in a staring contest with, Nicholas Sandmann, “stole my narrative” about being in prayer during the confrontation.
“He (Sandmann) stole my narrative,” Phillips said. “From the time I hit that first beat of the drum until I hit the last beat, I was in prayer. Now all of a sudden, he’s the prayer guy and the passive one.”
“Phillips is referring to Sandmann’s statement: “I believed that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict. I said a silent prayer that the situation would not get out of hand.”
Phillips is livid about Sandmann’s statement, telling the Enquirer Sandmann is a liar and a thief.
…the national attention he has received hasn’t had much sway on him. The incident hasn’t really either, he said, but Sandmann’s statement has.
“This is our youth,” he said. “These (CovCath) students may be from a different culture, a different race, but I’m American and they are American. This is our youth, American youth. Is this the future we got?”
Phillips said he’s ready to “work toward a better America,” that was one reason he was participating in the Indigenous Peoples March.
“I’m just working for a better future for all of our children,” he said. “But, I can’t work with liars and thieves.”
Phillips also demanded Sandmann put out a different statement and is now open to students being expelled (Phillips also repeated the lie that he is a Vietnam veteran)
“He (Sandmann) needs to put out a different statement,” said Phillips, who has said he is a Vietnam Veteran. “I’m disappointed with his statement. He didn’t accept any responsibility. That lack of responsibility, I don’t accept it.”
Phillips said that Sandmann’s response has changed his mind on how he views the incident and what he hopes the outcome will be.
“At first I wanted the teachers and chaperones to be reprimanded, some fired, for letting this happen,” Phillips said. “For the students, I was against any expulsions, but now I have to revisit that.”
Please read complete Enquirer article at this link.
Phillips in a news release Tuesday he wants to meet with the students to dialogue with them about cultural appropriation, racism, etc.
He’s offering to travel as a delegate representing the international coalition behind the Indigenous Peoples March to Covington Catholic High School in Northern Kentucky and have a dialog about cultural appropriation, racism, and the importance of listening to and respecting diverse cultures.
Also in the statement, Phillips accused Sandmann of lying.
“I have read the statement from Nick Sandmann, the student who stared at me for a long time. He did not apologize, and I believe there are intentional falsehoods in his testimony,” Phillips continued. “But I have faith that human beings can use a moment like this to find a way to gain understanding from one another.”
Sandmann’s statement in three parts as released Sunday night:
