The Alaska Federation of Natives joined a growing group of organizations to call out President Donald Trump for using the name “Pocahontas” during a ceremony honoring Native American Code Talkers in an attempt to attack Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
“AFN honors the service, bravery, and sacrifices of our WWII Native Americans and Alaska Native code talkers and all our courageous veterans. … President Trump’s remarks were disrespectful to the honoring of our veterans’ service. Native peoples serve in the Armed Forces at a higher rate than any other group in the country and have served in every war in this nation’s history,” AFN said in the statement. “AFN calls upon President Donald Trump and his administration to recognize the harm it does to Americans, and we call upon the Alaska Congressional Delegation to join us in raising our concerns.”
The Navajo Nation condemned Trump’s comments on Tuesday, calling it an ethnic slur.
“This was a day to honor them, and to insert something like that — the word ‘Pocahontas’ as a jab to a senator — you know, that belongs on the campaign trail,” Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye told CNN. “That doesn’t belong in the room when our war heroes are being honored.”
AFN is a coalition of 185 Alaska Native tribes, 177 village corporations, 12 regional corporations, and 12 nonprofit and tribal consortiums, making it the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska.
he is the absolute fucking worst.