Above: The Indigenous People’s March, January 18, 2019, Washington, DC. From the Indigenous Peoples Movement.
Note: After the march, the Indigenous Peoples Movement released the following press statement.
Marchers for Life Harass Indigenous Elder at Indigenous Peoples March
Display Demonstrates Indigenous Concerns About Marginalization, Disrespect, and Need to Listen to Traditional Knowledge
Yesterday, following the first annual Indigenous Peopleʼs March in Washington D.C., YouTube user KC NOLAND released a video showing a large group of youths wearing “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hats and other Trump paraphernalia taunting a Native American elder playing a ceremonial drum and singing a song.
According to reports, the youth group of youth was in attendance for the March for Life, a pro-life action occurring at the same time as the Indigenous Peopleʼs March.
According to organizers of the Indigenous Peoples March present for the exchange, Phillips was aggressively surrounded by more than 30 counter-protestors.
The drummer has been identified as Nathan Phillips, an Omaha elder, Vietnam Veteran, and former director of the Native Youth Alliance. Phillips also holds an annual ceremony honoring Native American veterans in the Arlington National Cemetery. The group of youth was from an all-boys prep school in Kentucky called Covington Catholic.
Chase Iron Eyes, another spokesperson for the Indigenous Peopleʼs March, knows Mr. Phillips personally and was present for the exchange. “Conservative people are fearful now—with the election to Congress of our first two Native American women, Deb Haaland and Sharice Davids, and so many other powerful women. Trump has riled up a reactionary voting block that reminds us that we are a nation founded on patriarchy, genocide, and racism. Trump is clearly giving these archaic instincts license, encouraging the kind of aggressive goading that I witnessed. But yesterday the world saw, whether it was live media or social media, the fight ahead of us can be won—if we are united.”
Organizers pointed out the poignancy that the incident occurred on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where the Rev. Martin Luther King delivered his “I Have a
Dream” speech nearly 55 years ago.“One thing we know as indigenous people is our connection to the creator, and itʼs creations,” said Nathalie Farfan, another organizer for the Indigenous Peoples March.
“The good news is, that connection to the sacred may have resonated with some of the Catholic youths. What is not being shown on the video is that the same youth and a few others became emotional because of the power, resilience, and love we inherently carry in our DNA. Our day on those steps ended with a round dance, while we chanted, ʻWe are still here.ʼ”
The Indigenous Peoples March was organized by the Indigenous Peoples Movement, a grassroots coalition determined to eliminate injustice for Indigenous peoples worldwide. The march and rally warranted the attention of 10,000 people in Washington, D.C. and inspired more than 10 solidarity marches globally.
The Indigenous Peoples March that took place in Washington, DC brought together 10,000 Indigenous people and allies and is the first of its kind.
The Mayan prophecy that I have been raised with teaches that this time in history is an era of great significance for global human consciousness. Through our prophecy, we are taught that as of December 21, 2012, a new age of human consciousness was born. In this new era of consciousness for the first time in the history of our species, the mind of the North and the mind of the South could meet and see from one another’s perspective.
As Indigenous nations gather today in Washington, DC, for the largest inter-tribal gathering in 50 years, I believe what we are witnessing is this prophecy coming true.
The Indigenous Peoples March taking place at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18 is set to bring together 10,000 Indigenous people and allies, and will be the first of its kind. It is the first major action of the Indigenous Peoples Movement — a grassroots coalition of organizers from across the globe at state and tribal levels dedicated to raising awareness on Indigenous issues.
The purpose of the march is to unite Indigenous people across nations on issues that disproportionately impact our communities. This includes environmental racism, human rights violations, land theft, forced assimilation, unlawful immigration policies, missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, as well as protecting and holding onto our sovereignty as Indigenous people.
The march also happens to fall on the same weekend of the Catholic church’s “March for Life,” an excellent opportunity to bring awareness to the strong desire of Indigenous peoples for the Catholic church to rescind on the Doctrine of Discovery papal bull.
The injustices that Indigenous communities of the world have endured are nothing new, but rather have been ongoing waves of genocide, erasure, and oppression that have taken on various forms over the past five hundred years under colonial rule. These challenges have been exasperated in recent years not only by the worsening impacts of climate change but also through the recent global wave of right-wing extremist politics.
Some of the central issues that will be highlighted in the march will include US president Donald Trump’s racist immigration policies that divide Indigenous tribes in half and disregard legitimate claims for asylum from Indigenous climate change refugees and the recently elected 38th Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro who has blatantly stated that he has no interest in “defending land for Indians” and clearly defined his plans for full-scale resource extraction in the Amazon Rainforest.
The march program will include over 100 speakers, performers and ceremonial practitioners from Australia, Samoa, Canada, Central and South America, Aotearoa, the Caribbean, Papua New Guinea and even the Buddhist community.
A prayer service will kick the day off as caravans, buses and motorcycle convoys arrive in Washington DC from various tribes as far as Arizona, North and South Dakota, Texas, and everywhere in between. The March itself will be followed by a night of musical performances and a day of strategic meetings between inter-tribal Indigenous leadership.
Amidst the softly falling snow of a state capital quieted by Trump’s government shutdown, Indigenous people of all nations are set to gather and bring our prophecies to life.
Learn more and get involved at: indigenouspeoplesmovement.com
