Warren tells Native Americans: ‘I have made mistakes’

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a 2020 White House hopeful, on Monday acknowledged the controversy over her claim of Native American heritage, saying she has made “mistakes.” 

“Like anyone who’s been honest with themselves, I know that I have made mistakes,” Warren told attendees at the Frank LaMere Native American Presidential Forum in Sioux City, Iowa. 

{mosads}”I am sorry for harm I have caused. I have listened and I have learned a lot, and I am grateful for the many conversations we have had together,” she added. 

Warren faced backlash late last year when she released results of a test that demonstrated she was between 1/64 and 1/1028 Native American. She has since apologized repeatedly for the confusion caused when she identified herself as a Native American. 

President Trump has seized on the controversy, labeling the senator as “Pocahontas.” 

“I did the Pocahontas thing. I hit her really hard and it looked like she was down and out but that was too long ago,” Trump said at a rally last week. “But don’t worry, we will revive it. It can be revived. It will be revived and it can be revived very easily and very quickly and we’re going to have some fun in the state of New Hampshire.” 

Warren last Friday released an in-depth plan on aimed at aiding Native American communities by addressing the economy, infrastructure and epidemic of missing and murdered native women on tribal lands. 

The intended legislation was drafted with Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress last year.

Haaland introduced Warren on Monday, and addressed the controversy over the senator’s heritage, saying that when the media focuses on the matter rather than issues impacting Native American communities, it is only “feeding the president’s racism.” 

— This report was updated at 12:15 p.m.