'The coyote is like the trickster': Jake Angeli | U.S. Capitol Insurrection
Channel: indianz
Date: 2021-01-16

One of the most recognizable defendants from the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is a Donald Trump supporter who bases his persona on a warped interpretation of Native traditions.

In a video interview with ORF, the Austrian national broadcast company, the figure known commonly as Jake Angeli described his outward appearance as being inspired by Native people. He said he was wearing a coyote on his head because of its symbolism in Navajo culture.

"According to the Navajo, the coyote is like the trickster, almost like a malevolent force, so I'm wearing the skin of a trickster," Angeli told ORF in an interview conducted in Phoenix, Arizona, last year. (https://youtu.be/22d6tRXxVeg)

With its red, white and blue color scheme, Angeli's face makeup resembles the American flag. He said it was linked to his view of Native beliefs and to his efforts to support Trump remaining in office as president of the United States.

"The face paint is representative of the Native American tradition of like donning on war paint of some sort," Angeli said. "Only this is a war that is of like a spiritual nature."

The U.S. government doesn't see the "war" in the same way. According to a document filed in federal court on January 14, 2021, Angeli -- whose real name is Jacob Anthony Chansley -- is a violent and dangerous criminal who left a threatening note for outgoing Republican Vice President Mike Pence during the riot at the U.S. Capitol.

The note read: "it's only a matter of time, justice is coming."
(https://www.indianz.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16/025123007295.pdf)

Federal prosecutors also noted that Angeli has admitted using peyote, a sacrament of the Native American Church. Under U.S. law, only practitioners of the Native religion are allowed to posses, transport and ingest the drug, which is known for its hallucinogenic qualities.

To Angeli, peyote is a tool that helps him uncover sex trafficking rings. He considers Pence complicit, according to federal authorities.

"So as a shaman, I am like a multi-dimensional or hyper-dimensional being, okay," Angeli said in the interview with ORF. "I am able to perceive multiple different frequencies of light beyond my five senses."

Angeli, whose age has been reported as 32, is being charged with six criminal counts in connection with the violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6. The charges include civil disorder; obstruction of an official proceeding; entering and remaining in a restricted building; disorderly conduct and disruptive conduct in a criminal building; violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; and parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building.
(https://www.indianz.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16/usvchansley.pdf)

Angeli remains in federal custody in Arizona. He went on a hunger strike of sorts following his arrest on January 9, with his mother telling the local news media that he gets "sick" unless he eats "organic food."

U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Fine subsequently ordered Angeli's attorney and federal officials to resolve the impasse.
(https://www.indianz.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/16/usvchansley.pdf)

Österreichischer Rundfunk, also known as ORF, is an Austrian national public service broadcaster. Website: https://orf.at

Thumbnail photo by Hope O’Brien/Cronkite News (Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0)

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