Elizabeth Warren - Native American Heritage Claims

Summary

Elizabeth Warren worked at the University of Texas from 1983-1987. She then took a job at the University of Pennsylvania where she remained until she started working at Harvard in 1992. 

While speaking as part of her 2012 senate campaign, Mrs Warren claimed to have Native American heritage. As proof of the claim that she was 1/32 Native American, Mrs Warren often spoke about remarks that her Aunt Bea would make about her father - Elizabeth Warren's grandfather. This aunt would often point to a picture of Mrs Warren's grandfather and remark about his high check bones and his native american appearance. 

In 2012, it was revealed that while she was employed at Harvard and at the University of Pennsylvania, those institutions listed her as a minority. This raised concerns by political opponents that the native american claim may have given her an undue benefit in her academic career. Mrs Warren did admit that after being hired at these schools, she did inform them that she was native american and had herself listed on a register of minority hires. When questioned as to why she did this, she stated that she did so in the hopes that it might get her an invitation to a luncheon or a group with people who were like her, and that she ceased listing herself in that directory when this result was not achieved.

Native American researchers have looked at Mrs Warren's history and found that the same "Aunt Bea" that spoke to Mrs Warren as a child about her Native American heritage was identified by Mrs Warren as "White" on her death certificate in 1999. They also discovered that Mrs Warren's mother identified herself as "White" in a 1940 census.

The situation was further inflamed when Mrs Warren claimed that her mother's Cherokee and Delaware heritage was such a problem for her paternal grandparents that it caused her parents to elope. This claim was criticized by a researcher who found an announcement of the marriage in a local paper congratulating the couple and the families. The researched noted that the ceremony was performed near the homes of the couple, witnessed by a family friend, and overseen by a prominent local official.

Mrs Warren's campaign website has listed a fact check page on their site that discusses the issue. It asserts that the native american tales by her family were part of his family history and that Mrs Warren stands by the claims.

Law School Listing

In early 2012, the Boston Herald reported that Mrs Warren listed herself as a minority in a law school directory for nine years between 1986 and 1995. Harvard Law School has also touted Warren as a minority hire. 

References to Grandfather

Mrs Warren often referenced a picture of her grandfather and statements that her grandmother would make as evidence of her heritage. She noted that her grandmother pointed out her grandfather's high cheeck bones, that Elizabeth also received, as evidence of Native American heritage.

My Aunt Bea has walked by that picture [of her father] at least a thousand times, remarked that her father, my papaw, had high cheekbones like all of the Indians do because that's how she saw it and she said and your mother got those same great cheekbones and I didn't. She thought that was the bad deal she had gotten in life.

Boston Herald Interview

On May 2, 2012 Mrs Warren was asked by the Boston Herald about the native american situation and accusations that using the native american label may have taken away opportunities from others. She responded by stating that she listed herself as "Native American" in an effort to meet like minded individuals.

I listed myself in the directory in the hopes that it might mean that I would be invited to a luncheon, a group something that might happen with people who are like I am. Nothing like that ever happened, that was clearly not the use for it and so I stopped checking it off.

... The only one as I understand it who’s raising any question about whether or not I was qualified for my job is Scott Brown and I think I am qualified and frankly I’m a little shocked to hear anybody raise a question about whether or not I’m qualified to hold a job teaching. What does he think it takes for a woman to be qualified?

Being Native American has been part of my story I guess since the day I was born. These are my family stories, I have lived in a family that has talked about Native American and talked about tribes since I was a little girl.

Death Certificate

In July of 2012, a researcher on Native American heritage that uses the website pollysgranddaughter.com found a death certificate listing "Aunt Bea" as "white" in her death certificate instead of Native American. 

On December 5, 1997 teh Daily Oklahoman ran an obituary of Donald J. Herring, Elizabeth Warren's father. That document listed that he was survived by his "sister-in-law, Bess A. Veneck of OKC." This was Elizabeth Warren's "Aunt Bea." Two years later, when Mrs Veneck passed away, Elizabeth warren was listed as the informant for the death certificate and that certificate listed "Aunt Bea" as "White" instead of "Native American."

1940 Census

In a 1940 census, Elizabeth Warren's mother listed herself as "White" instead of "Native American." The same researcher at pollysgranddaughter.com has shown that a category for "Native American" did exist and a number of people were classified under that designation.

The Elopment

In August of 2012, Mrs Warren was interviewed by several groups and was often asked about the claim of being a native american. On one show, she asserted that her mother's native american heritage of being part Cherokee and part Delaware was such a point of contention that it caused her paternal grandparents to object to the marriage. She asserted that her parents then eloped to avoid conflict.

Questions About Elopment

The same Cherokee researcher that had previously addressed Mrs Warren's claims on her heritage looked at the elopment claim. That researcher discovered an announcement of the marriage of Mrs Warren's parents and found that Warren’s parents were married in 1932 in a church not far from their home town by a respected and prominent pastor, who was unlikely to have performed ceremonies for runaways seeking to elope. The witness on the marriage certificate was a family friend of Warren’s mother, not some stranger rounded up by the pastor at the last minute for an unexpected elopement.

The couple then immediately returned home where their marriage was announced in the local paper in a celebratory fashion, with extensive descriptions of the prominence of the two families in the local business community. Perhaps most important, the announcement mentions that the marriage was a surprise to many of the young couple’s friends, but said nothing about it being a surprise to family.

The marriage of Donald Herring and Miss Pauline Reed, two of Wetumka’s most popular young people, came as a surprise to many of their friend when they returned from Holdenville late Saturday afternoon and announced their marriage.

Both of the young people were reared in Wetumka and are popular members of the younger set.

Mrs. Herring is the daughter of H.G. Reed, building contractor of this city, and has always been prominent in the social and church activities of the younger people and being a gifted singer has identified herself with the music lovers of the community.

The Gazette joins a host of friends in wishing for these young people a long and happy life together.

Fact Check Site

Part of Elizabeth Warren's campaign website is dedicated to fact checking stories put out in the media. The section dedicated to her native american heritage claims that she was told the stories of her heritage by her grandmother. She also notes that she did indeed inform Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania that she was native american.

References

[1] Website: Breitbart.com Article: ELIZABETH WARREN: MY AUNT BEA WAS WHITE BEFORE SHE WAS INDIAN Author: MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[2] Website: PollysGranddaughter Article: Elizabeth Warren Profile Author: NA Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[3] Website: PollysGranddaughter.com Article: Elizabeth Warren Said Aunt Bea was White Author: NA Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[4] Website: Boston Herald Article: Warren: I used minority listing to share heritage Author: Hillary Chabot Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[5] Website: The New York Times Article: University of Pennsylvania Described Warren as a Minority Faculty Member Author: Abby Goodnough Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[6] Website: ABC News Article: Elizabeth Warren Did Not List as Minority on Law School Application, Was Touted as One by U. Penn Author: Elizabeth Hartfield Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[7] Website: NECN.com Article: Warren didn't claim minority status on application Author: NA Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[8] Website: Boston Herald Article: Warren: I didn’t know Harvard Law promoted my lineage Author: Hillary Chabot Accessed on: 08/24/2012

[9] Website: LegalInsurrection.com Article: Elizabeth Warren elopement story falls apart Author: William Jacobson Accessed on: 08/24/2012

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