Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for taking a DNA test to prove her scant Native American background.
Tribal leaders said Warren apologized, but would not specify what she said, according to Tulsa World.
In a statement, Cherokee Nation said, “Senator Warren has reached out to us and has apologized to the tribe. We are encouraged by this dialogue and understanding that being a Cherokee Nation tribal citizen is rooted in centuries of culture and laws not through DNA tests. We are encouraged by her action and hope that the slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage will now come to an end,” the Cherokee Nation said in a statement.”
Warren took a DNA test in October which determined she was between 0.09 and 1.5 percent Native American. At the time, Cherokee Nation said her test was “inappropriate and wrong” and “undermined” tribal interests.
“Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong,” they said in a statement. “It makes a mockery out of DNA tests and its legitimate uses while also dishonoring legitimate tribal governments and their citizens, whose ancestors are well documented and whose heritage is proven. Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.”
Warren’s apology comes as she prepares to formally announce her 2020 run for president. She is expected to make her announcement on February 9 after recently visiting Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina.
