Sen. Elizabeth Warren has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for flaunting her DNA test results, which she said showed evidence that she had a distant Native American ancestor.
Tribal officials told Tulsa World late Thursday night that Warren apologized for what most consider to be a misstep. But when asked how she apologized, they said only that she “reached out” on the issue.
“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,” tribe spokesperson Julie Hubbard said.
Hubbard made an apparent reference to President Trump when she said she hoped Warren coming forward would help put an end to “slurs and mockery of tribal citizens and Indian history and heritage.”
Trump has referenced the Democrat from Massachusetts as “Pocahontas,” after which Warren took a DNA test to prove that she had American Indian in her bloodline. Warren, who launched a presidential exploratory committee, took the test and publicized the results, which said there is “strong evidence” she had aboriginal ancestors “in the range of six to 10 generations ago.”
In applying for law school professorships a few decades ago, Warren claimed to be Native American, a move some critics say she made in an effort to advance her career.
