Sen. Warren: Yes I’m Native American, But I Never Used My Heritage to ‘Advance My Career’

Warren Our country s ░░░░░░░░ of native people didn ░░░░░░░░ start with President Trump ░░░░░░░░ started long before President ░░░░░░░░ ever took office But ░░░░░░░░ we have a president ░░░░░░░░ can t make it ░░░░░░░░ a ceremony honoring native ░░░░░░░░ war heroes without reducing ░░░░░░░░ history native culture native ░░░░░░░░ to the butt of ░░░░░░░░ joke The joke I ░░░░░░░░ is supposed to be ░░░░░░░░ me I get why ░░░░░░░░ people think there s ░░░░░░░░ to be made here ░░░░░░░░ won t find my ░░░░░░░░ members on any rolls ░░░░░░░░ I m not enrolled ░░░░░░░░ a tribe And I ░░░░░░░░ to make something clear ░░░░░░░░ respect that distinction I ░░░░░░░░ that tribal membership is ░░░░░░░░ by tribes and only ░░░░░░░░ tribes I never used ░░░░░░░░ family tree to get ░░░░░░░░ break or get ahead ░░░░░░░░ never used it to ░░░░░░░░ my career But I ░░░░░░░░ to make something else ░░░░░░░░ too My parents were ░░░░░░░░ people By all accounts ░░░░░░░░ mother was a beauty ░░░░░░░░ was born in Eastern ░░░░░░░░ on this exact day ░░░░░░░░ s Day February 14 ░░░░░░░░ She grew up in ░░░░░░░░ little town of Wetumka ░░░░░░░░ kind of girl who ░░░░░░░░ sit for hours by ░░░░░░░░ playing the piano and ░░░░░░░░ My daddy fell head ░░░░░░░░ heels in love with ░░░░░░░░ But my mother s ░░░░░░░░ was part Native American ░░░░░░░░ my daddy s parents ░░░░░░░░ bitterly opposed to their ░░░░░░░░ So in 1932 when ░░░░░░░░ was 19 and Daddy ░░░░░░░░ just turned 20 they ░░░░░░░░ Together they survived the ░░░░░░░░ Bowl and the Great ░░░░░░░░ They saved up to ░░░░░░░░ a home They raised ░░░░░░░░ three older brothers and ░░░░░░░░ watched as each one ░░░░░░░░ off to serve in ░░░░░░░░ military After Daddy had ░░░░░░░░ heart attack and was ░░░░░░░░ of work after we ░░░░░░░░ the family station wagon ░░░░░░░░ it looked like we ░░░░░░░░ lose our house and ░░░░░░░░ would come crashing down ░░░░░░░░ mother put on her ░░░░░░░░ dress and walked to ░░░░░░░░ Sears and got a ░░░░░░░░ wage job That minimum ░░░░░░░░ job saved our house ░░░░░░░░ saved our family My ░░░░░░░░ struggled They sacrificed They ░░░░░░░░ off medical debts for ░░░░░░░░ My daddy ended up ░░░░░░░░ a janitor They fought ░░░░░░░░ they drank but more ░░░░░░░░ anything they hung together ░░░░░░░░ years that s how ░░░░░░░░ they were married When ░░░░░░░░ mother died a part ░░░░░░░░ my daddy slipped away ░░░░░░░░ Two years later I ░░░░░░░░ his hand while cancer ░░░░░░░░ him The last thing ░░░░░░░░ said was It s ░░░░░░░░ for me to be ░░░░░░░░ your mother And he ░░░░░░░░ They re gone but ░░░░░░░░ love they shared the ░░░░░░░░ they endured the family ░░░░░░░░ built and the story ░░░░░░░░ lived will always be ░░░░░░░░ part of me And ░░░░░░░░ one not even the ░░░░░░░░ of the United States ░░░░░░░░ ever take that part ░░░░░░░░ me away.”