‘Indian’ claim is woe for Warren
Latest unearthing problematic, says NLV Dem D’silva
WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren is on the verge of launching a presidential campaign that should be all about her vision for the future. But first she has to explain her past.
On Wednesday, for the second time in two weeks, the Massachusetts Democrat apologized for claiming Native American identity on multiple occasions early in her career.
The move followed a report that she listed her race as “American Indian” — in her own handwriting — on a 1986 registration card for the Texas state bar.
By providing fresh evidence that she had personally identified her race, the document resurrected the flap just as she’s trying to gain momentum for her 2020 presidential bid, which she’s expected to formally announce Saturday. Warren didn’t rule out the possibility of other documents in which she identified as Native American.
“It’s not exactly how you’d want to enter the arena” as a candidate, said Paulette Jordan, a former Democratic state representative in Idaho and a member of the Coeur d’alene Tribe who became the party’s gubernatorial nominee last year.
Jordan warned that Warren’s treatment of her heritage raises “a whole lot of questions and doubt” about her integrity: “If you cannot uphold that, then it makes things challenging.”
Reuben D’silva, a Democrat in North Las Vegas and former congressional candidate, said he’s not sure how much the average voter is paying attention to Warren’s apology. But “among primary voters, it seems to be a cause of concern.”
D’silva, a history teacher whose family is from India, said he could give Warren the benefit of the doubt because he understands that people often don’t have extensive records about their family history.
“But if there’s proof she used this to land jobs or advance her career or maybe profit off it in some way, then maybe that could become a problem,” he added.
Warren reiterated on Wednesday that she did not exact any career benefit from her Native American self-identification. But not every tribal citizen is assuaged.
David Cornsilk, a member of the Cherokee Nation and the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, pointed out that Warren previously identified as a minority in professional settings beyond the Texas state bar.
“The conclusion I draw is that she may not have gotten benefit from it, but I believe she certainly was trying to,” he said.