Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips
Nathan Phillips is an American of indigenous / Indian background from the U.S. and military veteran. [1] He describes himself as a Vietnam-era veteran, but never served in the war. He is known in the community as the keeper of a sacred pipe and an organizer for an annual ceremony that honors Native American veterans in the Arlington National Cemetery. [1] He has been in the news over a standoff he had with high school students at Covington Catholic High School.
Background
Clip from the viral video.
Nathan served in the U.S.
Military and served during the Vietnam War-era but did not actually serve in the war.
He is from the area of Ypsilanti according to a news report back in 2015.
In the Media
In 2015, Phillips was allegedly harassed by a group of Eastern Michigan University students who dressed as Indian stereotypes in a "Native Americans" themed party. Phillips walked alone one night as a group of partygoers/students called him over to witness a party that was being thrown in his ancestor's honor, but Phillips saw it as a racist event. One of the students threw a beer can at him when the interaction turned ugly.
On January 18th, 2019, during the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington, D.C., Phillips was allegedly confronted by a group of teens from Covington Catholic High School while singing the ceremonial American Indian Movement song of unity to send the spirits home. When Phillips began to see that tension was rising he started to walk over to the Lincoln Memorial but his path was being blocked by one of the guys wearing a MAGA hat. [9]It was later reported that it was Phillips who confronted the students of Covington Catholic who were being heckled by a group of Black Hebrew Israelites.
Frustration and outrage on social media has taken place since the footage of the standoff between the MAGA-wearing teens and Phillips went viral.
The student in the viral video was identified as junior Nicholas Sandmann.
Chief Ephraim Israel later admitted in an interview with the New York Post, that he was the one who sparked the confrontation that went viral between Phillips and Sandmann.