‘Who Dropped Them Off Here?’: Fearmongering TikTok Video of Native American Children In Arizona Desert, Sparks Violent Threats and School Lockdown

A TikTok video of children walking in the desert in Arizona brought out the worst in humanity, leading a nearby school to go on lockdown and parents to wonder if their kids were safe. Posted on Nov. 14 by TikTok user Canvas Tent Queen, whose account appears to be disabled, the video, set to dramatic music that would be at home in a movie like “Red Dawn,” opens with a wide shot of roughly 25 to 50 children who are instantly categorized as others. But this was no invading force. They were Navajo students from a charter school east of Flagstaff completing their quarterly wellness walk. Needless to say, their American roots run deeper than any TikTok Karen’s. A TikTok video posted by Canvas Tent Queen shows children walking in an Arizona desert. (Photo: TikTok/troquero_politico) None of them could have known they would soon be subject to hundreds of violent threats from people reacting to Canvas Tent Queen’s video, which received more than 200,000 views. One commenter said it was time for people “to get your gun out,” while another said he’d use the children for “target practice.” Comments were eventually disabled. However, administrators at nearby Star School had seen...