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.
This wasn’t the first time Warren has appeared at the conference. She also made a surprise stop at the 2018 event, where she spoke and received a standing ovation months before she publicized the DNA results.
A representative for the National Congress of American Indians told the Washington Examiner that Warren did not speak at the conference this year but did attend the National Indian Women Honor Luncheon, where she received an award and delivered remarks.
According to the Huffington Post, Warren said she attended the event to help lift up Native American voices, specifically mentioning Reps. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., and Sharice Davids, D-Kan., the first two native women elected to Congress.
Warren attended the 24th annual National Indian “Supporting Each Other” Honor Lunch as the surprise guest of honor, an organizer of the event told the Washington Examiner.
The presidential hopeful was presented with the National Indian Women “Supporting Each Other” appreciation plaque for her work as a senator on a few dozen bills that support Native American services.
According to the organizer, Warren again received a standing ovation this year, a sign the controversy over her claims of having aboriginal heritage does not affect her standing among this group.
Amid mounting pressure, especially from President Trump who likes to call Warren “Pocahontas,” the senator released the results of a DNA test in October which suggested she may have had a distant Native American relative, possibly as far back as 10 generations.
Warren apologized privately to the Cherokee Nation earlier this month after they criticized her DNA test as a stunt “undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.”
“I told him I was sorry for furthering confusion about tribal citizenship,” Warren told the Washington Post last week, referring to her recent apology to the Cherokee Nation. “I am also sorry for not being more mindful about this decades ago. We had a good conversation.”
“I can’t go back,” she said. “But I am sorry for furthering confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and harm that resulted.” That same Post report published a 1986 Texas bar registration card, found via an open records request, on which Warren claimed “American Indian” was her race.
On Saturday, Warren announced she was entering the Democratic primary race for 2020 after launching a presidential exploratory committee at the end of 2018. She did not bring up the controversy surrounding her heritage during her announcement speech.
Warren joins a crowded field of Democratic hopefuls, including fellow Sens. Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
