Elizabeth Warren Apologizes to Cherokee Nation for DNA Test
ATTEMPTING AMENDS
The senator reportedly “reaffirmed that she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen or a citizen of any tribal nation” to tribal leaders.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
On Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reportedly called the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation to apologize for taking a DNA test to prove that she was part Cherokee. According to The New York Times, a spokeswoman for the tribe called the call “brief and private.” “I understand that she apologized for causing confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that has resulted,” spokeswoman Julie Hubbard told the newspaper. “The chief and secretary of state appreciate that she has reaffirmed that she is not a Cherokee Nation citizen or a citizen of any tribal nation.” One day before, Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. reportedly published a column in the Tulsa World that claimed that while Warren could be a “friend,” she was not a “Cherokee citizen.” President Donald Trump has long publicly teased Warren for claiming she has Native American heritage, calling her “Pocahontas.” In reaction, Warren took the DNA test—prompting backlash from the Cherokee Nation.
