Warren apologizes to Cherokee Nation for taking her DNA test

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat who is running for her party’s presidential nomination, has apologized to the Cherokee Nation for her decision to take a DNA test to prove her Native American ancestry, a move that angered some tribal leaders and ignited a significant political backlash.

The apology comes as Warren, 69, is set to formally kick off her presidential run this month after recent visits to early nominating states such as Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. It also comes after repeated calls for her to apologize from tribal leaders, political operatives and her advisers, who said her October decision to take the DNA test gave undue credence to the controversial claim that race could be determined by blood — and politically, played into President Donald Trump’s hands.

On Thursday, Warren called Bill John Baker, principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, to apologize for the DNA test, said Julie Hubbard, a spokeswoman for the tribe. She called it a “brief and private” conversation. Warren’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

“I understand that she apologized for causing confusion on tribal sovereignty and tribal citizenship and the harm that has resulted,” Hubbard said. “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.”

The apology is a break from Warren’s previous public stance, where she refused to admit fault.

On Wednesday, Chuck Hoskin Jr., secretary of state of the Cherokee Nation, published a column in the Tulsa World titled, “Elizabeth Warren can be a friend, but she isn’t a Cherokee citizen.”

In the column, Hoskin said Warren’s test, which her office said showed strong evidence Warren has Native American pedigree “6-10 generations ago,” did not take into account that, for most Native Americans, culture and kinship create tribal membership — not blood.