If she was always so "proud" you think she wouldn't have simply assumed the story to be true. That does not seem to be very interested in her background, and certainly not very lawyer-like. If she was truly "proud" she would have done some real research; found out just who it was in her family that married a Native American; found the name/s of her Indian ancestors, found out when, where, there was a marriage, etc. Then she would have verified it and have reason to make her claim. But, instead...she was lazy and just believed tales and tried to use the unproven story for her advantage.
However, taking into account that she actually believes this tale... Her story smacks of tales that people tell who believe in reincarnation. They always say that they feel they were some important, known person ( a person of royalty, or some famous historical figure, etc)...or just anyone better or more exciting than they are now, in this life. They never admit to believing they were just an unimportant, unknown, unaccomplished slob before, and that is what they still are today. LOL.
So...Elizabeth claims to have Cherokee blood. Naturally, she would say she is descended from someone from a tribe that is well known, and one for which there has been much empathy in this country. She, naturally, could not say she had an ancestor of some little-known, insignificant, Native American tribe who married someone from her "white" family. No, she had to claim heritage from the tribe that would be recognized, and that would make her more important. It sounds more impressive to say she is related to the Cherokee Nation than it would be to claim her American Indian ancestors never had any prominence in history, are not recorded or mentioned much in any stories, and were not a tribe that had prominence.
Liberals always feel they are more important. Thus Elizabeth had to claim that any American Indian ancestors she has must have been more important and remembered, also. That is her logic.
American Indians are all proud of their tribal roots...and I am sure are not happy that Elizabeth wants to lay claim to their pride when there is no proof. The Cherokee, I am sure, made note of when one of their own married a White man or White woman. It would have been an event that the tribe remembered and a story they could recall in their way. In those days most tribes of any Native American nation did not want their blood mixed, any more than any others did.
Plus, for a woman so "proud" of her heritage as an American Indian, she participated in exactly zero Native American-type thingies on the Harvard Campus. Even the head of the AI program over there had no idea about her.
In other words, this whole "proud" line is complete bullsh*t. She's been exposed.