Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker is calling on Sen. Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts) to apologize for the "racist" and "offensive" actions of his staff and supporters. Baker was outraged to learn of a video that shows two of Brown's Capitol Hill staffers and his supporters making stereotypical "war whoops" and doing "tomahawk chops" in a confrontation with supporters of Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. "We need individuals in the United States Senate who respect Native Americans and have an understanding of tribal issues," Baker said today in a press release. "For that reason, I call upon Sen. Brown to apologize for the offensive actions of his staff and their uneducated, unenlightened and racist portrayal of native peoples." Brown, who is running for re-election, has confirmed that his staffers participated in the rally, which took place in Boston. He said he doesn't "condone" the behavior but also has not apologized for it. Instead, he blamed Warren for claiming Cherokee and Delaware ancestry. Warren, who grew up in Oklahoma, is not currently enrolled in any federally recognized Cherokee or Delaware tribe. Get the Story:
Sen. Brown staffers make 'war whoops' and 'tomahawk chops' at campaign rally (The Hill 9/25)
Scott Brown Aides Mock Elizabeth Warren With Indian Chants (Roll Call 9/25)
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