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In reply to the discussion: Warren listed race as 'American Indian' on Texas bar registration [View all]apnu
(8,756 posts)My family has a many stories that we have Canadian First Peoples heritage. I'm told I'm 1/16th Mohawk. But present as white, I was raised as white, I talk like the white Midwesterner, I identify, generically, as white. However I've always had great sympathy for native peoples in both the US and Canada.
In the 80s and 90s, when I let this information be known, quite a lot of people told me to claim Native American on various forms to get special consideration (college entrance and bank loans for example). When the genetics test became a viable thing, people pressured me to get a test, find out if the stories are true, and again claim native heritage on various forms to get freebies and even tribal membership.
That always made me feel hinky. I grew up with all the powers and benefits of privilege and it felt like a scum move to use resources that exist for people who needed it. So I never took that path I could get by just fine. I'm still creeped out just thinking about it.
As much as I love Warren's politics, her native heritage claims has always bothered me. I hope she can be grown up about all this, continue to apologize for her bad decisions and become an advocate for native peoples in our country.