Why Many Native Americans Are Angry With Elizabeth Warren

[Billie.jeens]

If Senator Elizabeth Warren thought that releasing her DNA test results showing Native American ancestry would neutralize a Republican line of attack, she was wrong.

The test — part of her strategic preparations for a likely presidential campaign — did not placate President Trump, who has mocked Ms. Warren as “Pocahontas” and once promised $1 million to a charity of her choice if a DNA test substantiated her claims of Cherokee and Delaware heritage. And her announcement of the results angered many Native Americans, including the Cherokee Nation, the largest of the country’s three federally recognized Cherokee tribes.

DNA testing cannot show that Ms. Warren is Cherokee or any other tribe, the secretary of state of the Cherokee Nation, Chuck Hoskin Jr., said in a statement. Tribes set their own citizenship requirements, not to mention that DNA tests don’t distinguish among the numerous indigenous groups of North and South America. The test Ms. Warren took did not identify Cherokee ancestry specifically; it found that she most likely had at least one Native American ancestor six to 10 generations ago.



https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... spartanntp

[hockeymom87]

They didn’t even test against Native American DNA they used DNA from Peru etc. So she might not even have any Native American DNA. So much for her parents having to elope(which is doubtful there was a marriage announcement in the paper https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailyw ... 7177%3famp) because her mom was too Native.

[morgan]

[thunderkiss65]

This thing just makes me laugh every time I hear it. I don't identify as native american, though legally I could. Im mixed, that's it. My father is half Seminole and my mother is 1/4 Lakota. My ancestors are traced directly back to specific nations; but still I wouldnt dare throw my "heritage" around like that to gain power. I wouldnt dare identify as native like that because the truth is, in the native community, if you are not raised native, you are not native and that's just how it is. I have ancestry, but I cant claim heritage like that, thats now how it works. I respect that too. It has less to do with the amount you have- blood wise- and more to do with how you were raised.

With all that said, I have had many people come up to me and ask about my "heritage", and then usually follow up with their ancestry findings. The funny thing about this is, they all say the same thing to me and my family members... " Are you native american? You look native american. We recently found out that we are native american too! We are 1/68th Cherokee Indian and my great grandmother 2x removed was a Cherokee princess!" See this is funny because they are always Cherokee and they all are related to the same "Cherokee princess" LMFAO!!!!! I die every time someone says that to me. You people who say this need to stop because you have NO idea how ridiculous you sound!

[KnotaDinghy]

This thing just makes me laugh every time I hear it. I don't identify as native american, though legally I could. Im mixed, that's it. My father is half Seminole and my mother is 1/4 Lakota. My ancestors are traced directly back to specific nations; but still I wouldnt dare throw my "heritage" around like that to gain power. I wouldnt dare identify as native like that because the truth is, in the native community, if you are not raised native, you are not native and that's just how it is. I have ancestry, but I cant claim heritage like that, thats now how it works. I respect that too. It has less to do with the amount you have- blood wise- and more to do with how you were raised.

With all that said, I have had many people come up to me and ask about my "heritage", and then usually follow up with their ancestry findings. The funny thing about this is, they all say the same thing to me and my family members... " Are you native american? You look native american. We recently found out that we are native american too! We are 1/68th Cherokee Indian and my great grandmother 2x removed was a Cherokee princess!" See this is funny because they are always Cherokee and they all are related to the same "Cherokee princess" LMFAO!!!!! I die every time someone says that to me. You people who say this need to stop because you have NO idea how ridiculous you sound!

That's funny, but mostly sad too.
I think it's the same across nationalities.

There's a difference between genetics (DNA) and nationality. I completely see what the SOS of the Cherokee Nation is saying.

[thunderkiss65]

This thing just makes me laugh every time I hear it. I don't identify as native american, though legally I could. Im mixed, that's it. My father is half Seminole and my mother is 1/4 Lakota. My ancestors are traced directly back to specific nations; but still I wouldnt dare throw my "heritage" around like that to gain power. I wouldnt dare identify as native like that because the truth is, in the native community, if you are not raised native, you are not native and that's just how it is. I have ancestry, but I cant claim heritage like that, thats now how it works. I respect that too. It has less to do with the amount you have- blood wise- and more to do with how you were raised.

With all that said, I have had many people come up to me and ask about my "heritage", and then usually follow up with their ancestry findings. The funny thing about this is, they all say the same thing to me and my family members... " Are you native american? You look native american. We recently found out that we are native american too! We are 1/68th Cherokee Indian and my great grandmother 2x removed was a Cherokee princess!" See this is funny because they are always Cherokee and they all are related to the same "Cherokee princess" LMFAO!!!!! I die every time someone says that to me. You people who say this need to stop because you have NO idea how ridiculous you sound!

That's funny, but mostly sad too.
I think it's the same across nationalities.

There's a difference between genetics (DNA) and nationality. I completely see what the SOS of the Cherokee Nation is saying.

It is actually sad and disrespectful which is why, even though I could easily become a registered member, I wouldnt dare do so. Most peoples claims as Cherokee, from what I heard, is because their guidelines are a lot more lenient than other nations. A lot of people seek out to use their American privilege alongside the native card when their 'American privilege' does not work for them.
I remember when I was first told about our ancestry, my grandmother would make it clear to us why we can not claim heritage that way. The reason being, that we were not raised with the same struggles and issues the native american people have faced and still face today. I think a lot of the issue is the lack of education in this area. People have heard about the trail of tears and a few battles the natives have fought in history, but they dont hear about it all. About the sacrifices and what was really taken from them, how it really happened. They are not aware of the government interference they face today and how they fight daily on keeping their treaties and their rights as native citizens. How the government is constantly finding loopholes on violating their treaties. People don't know what they are battling right now. The whole pipeline issue was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issues they are all facing today. Government raids, CPS/DHS taking kids from their homes and placing them up for adoption outside of their reservation with non-native families, intense drug and alcohol issues, poverty just to name a few. It's wrong to try and use native status when you dont even know the struggles these people have to face and you never had to deal with them.
Native Americans are proud people and they dont use that "card" lightly, others shouldn't use it at all. They have every right to be upset with this woman, because she just spat in the faces of all natives when she made these claims. Native status is not something that you use and abuse like that. Especially when you are working with the same government they are constantly having to combat.

[KnotaDinghy]

This thing just makes me laugh every time I hear it. I don't identify as native american, though legally I could. Im mixed, that's it. My father is half Seminole and my mother is 1/4 Lakota. My ancestors are traced directly back to specific nations; but still I wouldnt dare throw my "heritage" around like that to gain power. I wouldnt dare identify as native like that because the truth is, in the native community, if you are not raised native, you are not native and that's just how it is. I have ancestry, but I cant claim heritage like that, thats now how it works. I respect that too. It has less to do with the amount you have- blood wise- and more to do with how you were raised.

With all that said, I have had many people come up to me and ask about my "heritage", and then usually follow up with their ancestry findings. The funny thing about this is, they all say the same thing to me and my family members... " Are you native american? You look native american. We recently found out that we are native american too! We are 1/68th Cherokee Indian and my great grandmother 2x removed was a Cherokee princess!" See this is funny because they are always Cherokee and they all are related to the same "Cherokee princess" LMFAO!!!!! I die every time someone says that to me. You people who say this need to stop because you have NO idea how ridiculous you sound!

That's funny, but mostly sad too.
I think it's the same across nationalities.

There's a difference between genetics (DNA) and nationality. I completely see what the SOS of the Cherokee Nation is saying.

It is actually sad and disrespectful which is why, even though I could easily become a registered member, I wouldnt dare do so. Most peoples claims as Cherokee, from what I heard, is because their guidelines are a lot more lenient than other nations. A lot of people seek out to use their American privilege alongside the native card when their 'American privilege' does not work for them.
I remember when I was first told about our ancestry, my grandmother would make it clear to us why we can not claim heritage that way. The reason being, that we were not raised with the same struggles and issues the native american people have faced and still face today. I think a lot of the issue is the lack of education in this area. People have heard about the trail of tears and a few battles the natives have fought in history, but they dont hear about it all. About the sacrifices and what was really taken from them, how it really happened. They are not aware of the government interference they face today and how they fight daily on keeping their treaties and their rights as native citizens. How the government is constantly finding loopholes on violating their treaties. People don't know what they are battling right now. The whole pipeline issue was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the issues they are all facing today. Government raids, CPS/DHS taking kids from their homes and placing them up for adoption outside of their reservation with non-native families, intense drug and alcohol issues, poverty just to name a few. It's wrong to try and use native status when you dont even know the struggles these people have to face and you never had to deal with them.
Native Americans are proud people and they dont use that "card" lightly, others shouldn't use it at all. They have every right to be upset with this woman, because she just spat in the faces of all natives when she made these claims. Native status is not something that you use and abuse like that. Especially when you are working with the same government they are constantly having to combat.

So well said. Thank you for sharing this information.