Please join Nathan Phillips and me—Lakota People’s Law Project Attorney Chase Iron Eyes—as we discuss the recent incident in Washington D.C. involving Nathan and two antagonistic groups at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium (307 Church St, Santa Cruz, CA 95060) @ 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 10.
The Lakota People’s Law Project was among the core organizers of the Indigenous People’s March two weeks ago. So when the now-famous event involving Nathan, an Omaha-Ponca elder, occurred on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, I was there. Nathan is a friend of mine. I know him from Standing Rock, and it breaks my heart that he traveled all the way to D.C. to join the first annual Indigenous Peoples March, only to be caught in between two hostile camps as they squared off against one another in the shadow of a statue of Abraham Lincoln.
Nathan himself was actively disrespected in various ways that day. But he stood strong for peace with justice, using a drum and song.
Remarkably, in the days that followed Nathan’s unfortunate treatment, I found myself—along with my Lakota People’s Law Project team—in a position to provide wrap-around media and logistical support to Nathan. We kept track of Nathan’s schedule, provided feedback after interviews, and helped him develop talking points. We see Nathan for who he is: an Indigenous elder mistreated while trying to deliver racial harmony at the place where MLK jr gave his “I Have A Dream” speech 56 years ago.
Now, Nathan and I will be in Santa Cruz for a special event on February 10th at 7 p.m. to share our experiences with you. Our chief counsel Daniel Sheehan and other special guests will join us to provide context and analysis. We look forward to answering any questions you have about what happened on the ground—and in the retellings by the media.
