Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., made a surprise visit Tuesday to a Native American conference in Washington, D.C.

Her appearance at the National Conference of American Indians comes just a few days after formally announcing her candidacy for president and after she apologized amid a wave of backlash from political allies and enemies alike for identifying as Native American in the past, including during her time as a professor at Harvard University and other colleges, and for taking a DNA test last year to show she had Native American roots.