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New calls for Elizabeth Warren to show proof about heritage

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    Cherokee genealogist Twila Barnes weighs in

  • Duration 6:44
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When it calls for the democratic senate candidate in Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren to come clean about her history.

This whole controversy started a couple of weeks ago when it surfaced that Elizabeth Warren who is challenging the Republican Scott Brown in Massachusetts for -- US senate seat.

Has claimed in the past to be a native American.

While she was teaching at Harvard while she was -- another top universities she listed herself she claims she did it because she wanted to be other people who were like her.

This is all based on her claim that her great great great grandma.

May have been Cherokee something now geologists have said they had zero evidence up.

And we have heard increasing.

Calls.

From the Cherokee community after.

New reports suggest that Warren may not have any Cherokee background at all.

To have her apologize.

Twyla Barnes is a Cherokee genie out just behind the -- -- from Polly's grandmother she wrote an open letter to Warren.

Asking for proof of her heritage trial -- thank you very much for being here.

You know she maintains that it's been in her family she's known about it for a long time and navy there's no proof of it.

But that she is indeed 132.

Cherokee -- -- And she's not.

-- I've looked at her documentation.

And I looked at her family.

Papers there's nothing to indicate she's Cherokee.

Her family is found nowhere and -- Cherokee records.

What about the great great great grand not Sarah Smith OC Sarah Smith who first we were told that in a marriage application.

Marriage license application she was listed as Cherokee now that we're being told there's really no proof of of any of that.

The application and does not say Cherokee anywhere on.

It it has his name and his mother's name as -- OC Smith.

It doesn't even have Sarah on it just says OC Smith.

And -- star Cherokee so far she has not released any proof she's -- not released any documentation.

You say that in -- open letter quote we cherokees have lots and lots of documentation supporting our claims of ancestry is that the case.

For chair case yes.

Yes there is.

Round that in the Miller role which was 1907 to 1914.

Going all the way back to before the trail of tears cherokees are recorded and we can Trace our families.

She doesn't -- I documentation is proof but apparently her campaign is pointing some folks to the -- loud chow cookbook.

A native American.

And in which she's got.

-- need an American recipe.

She's listed as you know one of the providers are native American recipe that I don't know she's she calls for -- and it she's taken some heat for.

Suggesting that a native American Reza BS as -- and I don't understand how works with viola.

Quite frankly but she says she's pointing to this apparently she's also given this sound -- about.

Her appearance and the appearance of others in her family take -- listen.

I still have a picture on my mantle at home and it's a picture my mother had before that picture my grandfather.

And my aunt -- has walked by that picture at least a thousand times remarked.

That he that.

Her father my -- -- Had high cheekbones.

Like all of the Indians do because that's how she solid and she said and -- mother.

Got those same great cheekbones.

And I didn't she thought this was the bad deal she has gotten in life.

Being native American has been part of my story.

I guess since the day I was born.

What's your reaction that trying to.

Well when she said as part of her story that's true it's just a story.

And honestly.

I have never walked by any picture of any of my ancestors.

That are Indian and said.

They have high cheekbones it's just not some -- -- say -- I I.

That comment -- to -- that he -- at.

Do you have a -- -- crack myself but apparently the campaign didn't put it out but she did tout her native American roots alleged in in this 84 cookbook.

It do you.

Do you view her as a fraud.

And why do you think that this is significant is you know a lot it was a -- -- what Sheila she wasn't she wasn't hooked us.

I -- an interview with her I think from yesterday.

And she said people are.

Not wanting to focus on the real issues they want to focus on her ancestry.

Well I think this is a real issue because we have issues in Indian Country like.

Indian Health Service says it could be improved.

Poverty.

There conditioned sometimes -- -- worse than Third World country living conditions.

And those are issues to us.

Yet she thinks she can pretend to be an Indian and benefit from that and she has no -- that these issues even exist.

So it is important to talk about this because these are the people that she stepped on to get where she is today.

She listed herself as a bit as as -- -- -- native American and which gives her minority status in in now law school directory when she was at Harvard.

And another university and -- is an accusation that in doing that.

These universities may have looked at it and may have given her whether she knew better -- not favored status in in their hiring and promotion decisions.

-- thought about you know Elizabeth -- having possibly.

Displaced.

Someone who is native American from those jobs because you know it if they're looking to hire one and then they hire Elizabeth Warren they think.

They think they checked that box when in fact maybe they have not hired in the American.

I think if that if that's what she did.

Then it's.

Africans double I I wish they would release all the documents used.

In her hiring so that people can now and have that question answered.

But yes she did -- -- she checked herself as native American in the directories.

So what's to say she didn't when she applied for the jobs.

Yes she's denied that and and at least one official from Harvard.

Who -- that remembers hiring her suggested they did not consider that but will continue to follow it it's -- think.

-- -- thank you all the best you.

Thank you we -- to.

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