Probashbangla24 online Desk : US Senator Elizabeth Warren has revealed that a DNA test shows “strong evidence” that she has distant Native American ancestry.
She took the test after President Donald Trump taunted her in speeches, calling her a “fake Pocahontas” and challenging her to take the test.
The DNA test suggests Ms Warren has a Native American ancestor dating back six to 10 generations.
Many believe the Democrat is preparing for a presidential bid in 2020.
What exactly was revealed?
Ms Warren, who is up for re-election in Massachusetts, shared the report along with a video of family and colleagues discussing her heritage on Monday.
The DNA report was conducted by geneticist Carlos Bustamante of Stanford.
“The vast majority” of Ms Warren’s ancestry is European, it concludes, but “the results strongly support” a Native American ancestor.
This puts Ms Warren as between 1/64 and 1/1,024 Native-American, according to the Boston Globe.
Ms Warren herself is not a part of any native tribe. While the results of the test do confirm there is native heritage in Ms Warren’s family tree, critics could still point out how imprecise these DNA tests can be.
Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr said in a statement on Monday that “a DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship”, adding that sovereign tribal nations have their own legal requirements.
Pocahontas was the daughter of a 17th Century indigenous chief.
How has Warren been taunted?
Ms Warren has denied benefitting from her background since 2012, when it emerged that she was listed as a minority in a Harvard Law School directory.
She has frequently faced attacks from the White House and Republicans over whether she used claims of native ancestry to advance her career.
At a rally in Montana this summer, the president said he would give $1m (£761,000) to charity if Ms Warren would prove her claims of Native-American heritage.
In 2012, two Republican aides were recorded making offensive gestures linked to Native Americans while poking fun at then-candidate Ms Warren.
Asked about the DNA test, Kellyanne Conway, White House counsellor, told reporters: “Everybody likes to pick their junk science and sound science depending on the conclusion.” BBC
