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Nathan Phillips: Covington Kid’s Explanation Was Insincere and Written for Him

Native American activist forgives teens, but isn’t convinced by Nick Sandmann’s media blitz.

Nathan Phillips—the Native American elder who was caught up in the fallout of a viral video showing Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann grinning in his face as he beat a traditional drum—has dismissed the teen’s attempt at contrition as being insincere, but added that he forgives the kid anyway. Appearing on NBC’s Today show a day after Sandmann’s appearance—during which he said he didn’t feel he had to apologize but had “respect” for Phillips and would like to talk to him—Phillips was unimpressed. “Coached and written up for him. Insincerity. Lack of responsibility. Those are the words I came up with, but then I went to go pray about it,” Phillips said Thursday. “What it says is, he has a PR firm. So those aren’t even his words if he has a PR firm,” he said, adding that he’d like Sandmann to demonstrate “some sincerity, some sense of responsibility for his actions.” However, despite feeling that Sandmann’s explanation was inadequate, he went on to say that: “Even though I’m angry, I still have that forgiveness in my heart for those students.”

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