by Sarah Burris, HUFFINGTON POST, May 6, 2012 -- I can break treaties with myself all the time.
You see, I’m one of many Oklahomans — probably like Elizabeth Warren — who grew up hearing stories of my family’s mixed heritage. My grandfather talked about his Native American roots, and my mother’s lineage stretches back to Francis Scott Key. Yes, that Francis Scott Key.
Native American heritage is no big deal in Oklahoma. Most families that are at least three generations Okie are related to one tribe or another.
It’s just who we are. We all grow up there hearing about which tribe or tribes we belong to and which relatives were in the leadership 100 years ago.
These were the same stories Warren must have grown up hearing. Because this history is so, well, native for us. We take it for granted. That might be why Warren didn’t react quickly when her heritage was questioned during her Massachusetts Senate campaign against Republican Sen. Scott Brown.
The Oklahoma landscape is filled with native art and architecture. We go to powwows and Native American ceremonies and festivals. Schools teach about past struggles and our multicultural history. The customs and stories are passed down from generation to generation.
I’m sure it’s a lot like New Englanders who grow up hearing stories of their family’s journey to the New World. Women applying for the Daughters of the American Revolution, for example, trace their lineage back to an uncle’s great-grandfather’s sister’s brother-in-law — who fought alongside George Washington in the American Revolution — like some of my grandmother’s family.
The Colonial Dames of America are even more stringent — direct ancestors must have been leaders in the 13 colonies. Some members can trace their lineage back to the Mayflower passenger list. But no one ever asks them how much Mayflower blood they have.
Conservative commentators scoffed all last week at what they assert is Warren’s low percentage of native ancestry. Their problem — like most people who didn’t grow up in a place like Oklahoma — is they have no real frame of reference for how much blood is removed with each generation. Consider that the current chief of the Cherokee Tribe matches Warren — he also is 1/32 Cherokee.
These commentators ignore a history tracing back to a mixed heritage, like Warren’s, that is the epitome of the American story. Seems like a double standard.
The second part of these attacks somehow argues from the other side — alleging that Warren was not qualified to teach at Harvard, and her faux Native American ancestry was the only reason she got the gig.
Brown would do well to stay away from this. It will probably only take one debate to see how much smarter she is.
If I had to put money on the higher IQ — I’d take the Oklahoman over the guy who probably keeps his pickup shined up in the garage.
It’s a good thing he’s not running in my state. We don’t like it when someone comes after one of our own.
Posted By: Richard Kigel
Monday, May 7th 2012 at 11:15PM
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