Anian

My wife did a DNA test. There were rumours in her family that there was a native American Indian a few generations back. She does have a lot of the physical characteristics so it would make sense. Results came back with 100% European. There was an unexpected Italian trace that would align with that generation though. Now we all wonder if there was a swarthy Italian guy passing himself off as an Indian all those years ago.

robin1234

This topic is certainly interesting and I'd like to explore it someday, even if it involves paying fees to several different companies for different analyses. However, for myself, I'd need to spend more time and effort reading about the science (rather than just reading advertising hype from the companies offering the services.)

Further, it seems that the services offered in the US are US centric (very reasonably.) For instance, they talk about European, Native American and African American ancestry. How can we be sure that all possible world ancestries have been analysed to the same depth as European, Jewish, Native American (etc.) After all, our ancestors could be from anywhere in Asia, Africa, South America etc.

Leslie

It tells you where within the continent.

Leslie

These are my Dad's results from last year.

scrubbedexpat091

I've been tempted to do these types of tests a few times, the cost always keeps me from biting the bullet and doing it though.

Curious as to if there is any actual native stuff in the family as I have a card and roll number for a tribe in Oklahoma, but would be nice to confirm it or not, unsure of how it was all determined though back in the day before DNA testing.

BEVS

I did the Ancestry dna test this time last year.

One year on and I am slowly narrowing down who my paternal grandad actually was as other people's dna tests come to light. I just wish my Dad was still alive so I could share.

Husband did one also and was very surprised to see that he has a good % of Irish in his dna. This is quite a specific dna group and to date I have not found the ancestor(s) that might have generated this. Mind you he always thought his Dad's side of the family were Welsh and they were not. On the borders maybe but not Welsh. His Mum's side on the other hand does have one chap from Wales . This may be where the Irish dna comes in if I can dig further back.

I must admit I'm not that interested in ethnic grouping. I'm a heinz57 mix like most everyone.

Floridablues

jsmith321...ancestory offered this dna test for under $60 pre xmas as a one off. so hopefully affordable for you to answer some of your curiousty.

Leslie

Nevermind. Didn't work.

BEVS

Rats. I'm all agog now.

Leslie

Because I love you

100% European:

36% Great Britain
20% Iberian Peninsula
17% Ireland
13% Italy/Greece
5% Europe West

Trace:
4% Europe East
3% European Jewish
<1% Finland/Northwest Russia
<1% Scandanavia


I haven't done my own yet but will at some point. It will be interesting to see what shows up from my mother.

steveq

LOL.
OUR family legend was that we had Pocahontas in our ancestry. I got the analysis done, no Native American.
Turns out we DID have a branch of the Rolfes in the tree...but not the one that married Pocahontas.

My aunt didn't believe me, and insisted that it would only show in the female line. She did the Ancestry test, and immediately came back as directly related to a guy living in the USA....

morpeth

Quite a few Indian tribes had a census taken, the Dawes roll in Oklahoma is a noted one, which can often determine full or part membership in a tribe to receive the various benefits tribal membership can bring.

I have been meaning to take one of the DNA tests as recently through an aunt went through some genealogical records and found some family stories were a bit off. For example in American branch of family story was they were French (arriving in 17th century) and intermarried through members of their church for 200+ years with other French descendants , well found records from 16th century through today that yes they intermarried with fellow church members, but it was a Dutch church so ends up that branch of the family is more Dutch than French, and later married people from British Isles, so really only the French last name remains. Yet American cousins if asked would call themselves French-Americans.

I guess I need to study up on the DNA tests, how precise they are as to locations that can be identified. I gather such tests can identify by Continent but how specific by region ?

robin1234

Yes I believe your point about the benefits of tribal membership may be behind a lot of the stories people have of memories of ancestors claiming (sometimes vaguely) Native American heritage.

And yes, it's becoming increasingly clear to me that I should find a good book on the whole topic (published recently) before trying any tests. I had a quick look in my library catalogues (British and US) yesterday, it appears that there are several books written for laypeople available... as you can imagine, there are two completely different sets of books (in UK & US.)

rpjs

If you’ve researched your family tree on Ancestry, they have a new app called “We’re Related” which matches your tree with others and finds famous people you may (because you’re relying on the quality of the research and the truthfulness of your ancestors’ recorded parentages) be related to.

It’s a bit US-centric, I got some, to me, obscure sports people and spouses of founding fathers, but I did get some good ones: I may be Elvis’s 9th cousin, Churchill’s 8th cousin two times removed and Poe’s 7th cousin three times removed.

morpeth

When I lived in Idaho I saw for medical benefits and some scholarship benefits people who then sought membership in the tribe, and if I recall some could only qualify for part membership, and found out that in many cases hey had no Indian blood whatsoever just family stories.

I agree with you worth looking into the subject of DNA testing more, my question is how specific it really is.