Sen. Elizabeth Warren made a surprising appearance at the National Congress of American Indians this week and made an even more surprising statement that she is indeed part Native American. I have been critical of the use of this label (and name calling generally) by the President and others. Yet, the sudden discussion of the controversy was unexpected by Warren. The assumption for years is that Warren had backed off from this claim made during her academic career. She was counted by by two law schools as a Native American. Indeed, we first discussed this issue when Warren was still an academic and her claim that claiming to a Native American offered no advantage to her career. The speech comes at an interesting time for academia where more schools are allowing students to not simply choose their gender (or non-gender) but also their race.
In the videotape of the speech, Warren went after President Donald Trump for his name calling over her claim and argued that the use of “Pocahontas” was engaging in “disrespect of Native people.”
However, she then said this: “I get why some people think there’s hay to be made here. You won’t find my family members on any rolls, and I’m not enrolled in a tribe. … I respect that distinction . . . I never used my family tree to get a break or get ahead. I never used it to advance my career. . . . my mother’s family was part Native American.”
The reference to her career was curious. She admitted to listing herself as a minority and the law school counted her as a minority hire. She affirmatively added herself to that academic listing. Frankly, the suggestion that being a minority hire is not an advantage for either Harvard or Warren is difficult to square. Nevertheless, as I have said before, Warren had an accomplished career as an academic and remains a powerful intellect in the Senate. I do not believe that her hiring or tenure were significantly (or even marginally) influenced by the claim of minority status. She has a well earned national standing as an academic.
However, being a minority hire not only is a benefit to a faculty member and the school. Moreover, minority candidates might object that counting her as a minority impacts real minority candidates seeking positions with the school. Native Americans have also objected to Warren claiming to be Native American.
Warren was listed as a minority faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania as well as Harvard A review of her academic record however does not show references to this background. This includes her record at George Washington University where she started in college. At Rutgers where she went to law school, she affirmatively stated that she was not a minority.
Warren’s silence on the issue was taken by many as an admission that she did not have this family history. However, she is now again claiming to have Native American blood through her mother. The easiest way to demonstrating such a claim would be any number of DNA tests and perhaps she has already confirmed her maternal roots as Native American. A prior search of her records showed that, at most, she could claim to being 1/32 Cherokee.
Schools are grappling with this issue. Various schools like Brown University are allowing graduate school applicants to “self-identify” as persons of color. The change was made after objections from international and Asian American students that they are not treated historically underrepresented racial groups. States like Delaware are moving in the same direction. The Census officials have reported a sharp increase in people changing their racial or ethnic identification.
The self-identification controversy is reminiscent of the Rachel Dolezal story. She self-identified as African-American and became a NAACP official. The question is how schools will address diversity reporting if students and faculty are allowed to self-identify as persons of color or minorities. As discussed in the Warren controversy, there is no real standard for faculty claiming minority status in most schools. If Warren is 1/32 Native American, is that sufficient to claim to be Native American. Likewise, there is little ability of a school to seriously question or test such a claim.
It is not clear where this leaves schools as more faculty and students self-identify and yet publish diversity statistics. The Warren controversy is a microcosm of the growing controversy in academia.
I often wonder aloud why we even have these diversity quotas and claims by people, when we are all supposed to be Americans. And I worry that it is this categorization of hyphenated Americans that is destroying the social fabric of the United States. But what is really upsetting about the case of Elizabeth Warren is that she bounces to whichever side of the see-saw she thinks will help advance her.
As a general rule, a person is allowed to self-identify with one public name at a time. It doesn’t allow the use of pseudonyms, but requires that all their documents reflect the name they are using. Shouldn’t such things as ancestry and gender identity reflect the same standards?
Personally, I wish we would return to identifying races by color instead of national origin, especially when some jurisdictions are making rules that forbid the mis-identification by others of these categories. With color, there is much less chance of mis-identification occurring. And at the same time, we can get rid of 51 of the 53 genders allowed in Facebook profiles. And an added benefit would be the elimination of quotas based upon these classifications.
I except the fact I am American I’ve live here all my life but I am part Cherokee my dad’s ancestors walked the Trail of Tears from Tenn to Oklahoma. And part of my Family my great grandfather and great grandmother got away from Andrew Jackson and his army and ended up in Clay County, TN. But I am a American first I’m proud of my Native American heritage I don’t have to publicize it shows.Were all first and foremost American regardless of color.when our day comes to leave this world color or race will have nothing to do with it We all equal in Gods eyes none of us are special even Pocahontas. lol. Honestly I shouldn’t said that. But I will say my Ancestors have done wrong many times over. Our great Father our God will win in the end not democrats or republicans and especially not by what kind our what color blood running through your veins or skin color.
And yes Pocahontas should keep her mouth shut about being Native American. I personally think she should have a DNA test then we all will know. She may be kind to Nancy Pelosi or Maxine Waters. Lmbo
I will repeat what I said earlier, IMHO:
The b*tch is worth millions, and DNA test cost less than $100. Do you really think that she didn’t pay for a test on the sly when the whole Cherokee maiden thing first came up??? Do you really think she was that stupid??? Sooo stupid that she wouldn’t resort to a less-than-$100-solution to this huge blight on her record??? This huge political black mark against her? Sooo stupid that it never even occurred to her??? Heck, she could have had a family member take the test in secret.
No, she has had a DNA test, and the results are either not supportive of her claims, or the test is supportive and she is holding it back for release at a more strategic time. My guess is, that it is not supportive or she would have nipped this in the bud.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky – I think she is afraid to take a DNA test.
I doubt she bothered to take the time.
The question came up earlier as to the extent that the aboriginal Americans contributed genetically to the population of Europe. A quick answer is none.
In slightly more detail, what is known about human gene flow is primarily via maternal genotypes, all that I will summarize.
The American aborigines all came via Beringia which was first inhabited by 30,000 ybp, years before present. About 16,000 ybp the way into the rest of the Americas opened and in a mere 2,000 years the Americas were peopled. The Beringian founders had 4 halogroups, A,B,C,D. Haplogoup B made it all the way to Tierra del Fuego before 14,000 ybp. Haplogoup C is only found in Athabaskans, located only in northern and western North America, none even in Mexico. Only a haplogroup A variant made it to in a westerly direction to the Siberians of the lower Amer River and that before the route from Beringia to the rest of the Americas opened. However, earlier variants of halogroups B and D, maybe A, but not C, are found to the west in the far north as the Uralic peoples, but that happens to include the Hungarians.
But haplogroup C is widely spread by the Mongols and now found in Europe in Kazan, Astrakhan and Crimea, at least. But in no sense are any of these peoples of Asia and Europe descendents of aboriginal Americans. At most, some East Asians are descendents of Beringians, via haplogroup A.
I have left out the Arctic Asian tribes, closely akin to the Arctic dwellers on the American side; these peoples are an independent study.
Readers of this blog will be pleased to learn that Washington State University has a “Department of Critical, Culture, Gender and Race Studies” according to today’s student newspaper.
The simple truth is that Elizabeth Warren uses American Indians for her own personal gain.
How so?
I am 1/32 Cherokee. Evidence of my Cherokee genealogy was NOT difficult to find. The decennial census records and the Dawes Roles easily allow for the tracing of one’s family back to before Oklahoma’s statehood to Indian Territory. The Cherokee were and are excellent record keepers. Such records have been microfiched and are now digitized. They can be found in any good-sized community library. If one requires professional help for such a search, the Cherokee’s themselves have excellent professional genealogists right there in Tahlequah, OK. The fact that Warren hasn’t found it and that such a connection hasn’t been found by independent Cherokee researchers means she is NOT part Cherokee. The further fact remains that she used it on her application to Harvard to enhance her credentials and the worthiness of her application. Offhand, and until proven otherwise, I’d say this is a classic example of cultural appropriation.
Well, I cannot find any record of my father’s step-father entering the United States, only his induction into the US Army at the entrance to WWI, from Sandpoint, Idaho,despite his being of Norwegian origin.
So the records might well be incomplete. I opine that Senator Warren was told when quite young that she was part Cherokee.
Warren gives me the willys!
So Fauxahontos keeps shaking her teeny little fist and demanding answers and nothing ever changes. The big banks are her buddies – the too big to fail and/or jail doctrine is still intact Only Hilbots take that woman seriously.
Wells Fargo admits it ripped off its customers, creates low-response-rate opt-in system for its victims to get paid back
https://boingboing.net/2018/02/15/shareholder-logic.html#more-573417
did they jump her in as an honorary member?
see you at the casino Liz~!
A meet up with Liz should be tax payer paid. But where?
The Mescalero Apache Reservation. Casino – Inn of the Mountain Gods. It has a 45,000 square-foot casino featuring machines, table games poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and more.
jump her in? what does that mean?
Eric – jumping in is gang slang for being initiated into a gang. For boys, you roll a die and the number that comes up is the number of either minutes you are beaten or the number of people who beat you. If you are a girl, you roll a die and the number is the number of gang members you have sex with one after the other. Although, if Elizabeth Warren was being jumped into my gang, I would be sick that day. 😉
I am sure she will miss the orange smudge marks from your cheese curl stained fingers. Plus you would have to leave the basement.
YNOT – very few houses in the Valley of the Sun have basements. If you ever lived here you would know that.
You missed one thing…the girls ALSO have the option of fighting the dudes instead of pulling a train…I worked with a girl that rolled a “5”…she took the beat down like a champ…she said they respected her more for it. I would take the fighting option as well. The body heals, but the psyche remains
Everyone doubts that she is “part” American Indian. A big source of debate. Yeah. Keeps me awake at night, wondering about the genetics of this broad. One thing, however, which I believe few would debate–Warren may be “married” and “pass” as “straight”. . .but my gut instincts tell me that this masculine, Hillary-lovin-and-boxy-masuline-pant-suit-wearing being, is more than 1/32 lesbian. Yeah. I said it. She strikes me as a big lez. Can we swab her cheek to confirm? Wow. An American Indian lesbian. . .she can check off two boxes, now! Wait. . .does she limp? Maybe she can go for disabled, as well?
JT already posted a topic covering this very issue. Two spirit Indians. Who is the butch, top or bottom & stuff like that.
Well,in the strict sense,I’m too a Native American-born and raised here. How’
Elizabeth Warren has a specific obnoxious quality. She wants you to know that her itShay don’t stink.
I think it would make sense, now that DNA ancestry kits are available, to cease all “colloquial” classifications (including self-classifications) made based on appearance. Instead, all official national demographic data referring to ancestrage, would have to be scientifically based.
So people are scientifically proven to be human? Which means they are scientifically proven to be equally endowed with natural rights. Anything else derived from those tests should have absolutely no influence on just governmental policy and administration.
That’s what it’s all about for her, just working a government loophole. Opportunist–at best.
At some point can we all just be Americans?
Amen.
At some point can we all just be Americans?
In my opinion, not anytime soon.
The new 11-member board is seeking to adopt a rule that would require teachers to undergo training that “promotes self-reflection and discussion on all of the following topics”:
“…racial, cultural, and socioeconomic groups; American Indian students; implicit bias; systemic racism; gender identity, including transgender students; sexual orientation; language diversity; and individuals with disabilities.”
“What are they doing to our children?” she asked. “They are teaching them to be ashamed of themselves.”
http://www.intellectualtakeout.org/article/minnesota-seeks-insert-social-justice-teacher-licensing?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10159028&utm_content=newsletter(10159028)&utm_term=newsletter
So if people can self identify their ancestry then theoretically you could have an all white school that self identifies as minorities and not have a single biological minority present. For statistics to have any meaning they will have to count biological and self identifying separately. BTW being an accomplished academic doesn’t equal being honest.
BTW being an accomplished academic doesn’t equal being honest.
I believe the self-identity rules require everyone to believe and treat others as they identify. So the academic just needs to self-identifies as honest. Problem solved. 😉
I’m still going with the all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
That doesn’t help the politicians though. They need to keep the identity politics going so they can tailor their speeches (and promises) for the audience (and votes) they want to reach. Imagine the horror for the politician if everyone registered as Independent and not identifiable by race, creed, religion, etc. Instead of having their constituents sorted like the sheep they are, the sheep become people that are not some lay down vote.
We have another census coming up. It’s an opportunity to begin to unwind this whole identity politics and cultural appropriation charade. Identify as everything or nothing at all.
1/32 cherokee
31/32 socialist
32/32 bats**t crazy
she is a communist
You are a deep thinker.
How about a “full Indian,” non-Monsanto supporting Senator?
https://shiva4senate.com/
A educated person that can be an antidote to the useless leftist hysteria.
If I lived there, I would vote for him! Plus, why shouldn’t pasty white Warren make way for a real minority person!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Did you get a chance to listen to him speak to Styx? I posted the link somewhere yesterday. Warren should be worried. His talk blew me away, especially when he referenced Joseph Campbell and the importance of archetypal imagery and stories to our understanding of being human, our morality, and responsibility to others. I thought it was interesting, at the Boston march, the MSM painted the speaker as some token liberal (rather than classical liberal), and it was him. Here’s the link again:
Thanks for the link. I have access to WiFi at the moment and can actually listen to part of it.
I find it moving that his family escaped the untouchable caste of India. Now there is someone who benefited from a merit-based immigration system who would want to protect the American Dream.
I hope you get to see the whole thing Karen, it’s very exciting to see how much respect he has for country where he could get a shot.