Every day, I receive e-mails very similar to this one.
“My family has always said that we were part Native American. I want to prove this so that I can receive help with money for college.”
The reasons vary, and not everyone wants to prove their heritage in order to qualify for some type of assistance. Some want to find their tribe and join to reclaim their lost heritage. Some want to honor their persecuted and hidden ancestors, undoing some of the wickedness of the past, and some simply seek the truth. Regardless of why, they are all searching for information lost to them.
I’d like to talk about three topics in proving Native Ancestry. First, I’d like to do some myth-busting. Second, I’d like to talk a little about conventional research and third, I’d like to discuss what DNA can, and can’t, do for you.
As you read this blog, please click on the links. I’m not going to repeat something I’ve already covered elsewhere.
Myth-Busting
Myth 1 – Free College
There is no free college for Native Americans. There are sometimes scholarships and grants available, mostly by the individual tribes themselves, for their official members.
Myth 2 – Joining a Tribe
Many people think that if they can only figure out which tribe their ancestor descends from, they can join. This is untrue. Each tribe is a sovereign nation, and they get to determine their criteria for membership. Most tribes require a specific percentage of Native “blood,” called blood quantum, in addition to being able to document which tribal member you descend from. Some tribes require as much as 25% Native heritage, and most require at least 1/16th Native heritage, which is one great-great grandparent. If you don’t know who in your family was a tribal member it’s unlikely that you would be able to meet the blood quantum requirement.
Myth 3 – DNA Testing Will Reveal my Tribe
Generally, DNA testing does not provide us with the information needed to determine a tribe, although it can clearly tell, using y-line or mitochondrial DNA testing, whether your direct paternal or maternal line was or was not Native. Sometimes you will be able to infer a tribe based on your matches and their documented history, but the definition of tribes, their names and locations have changed over time. We are working on improving this ability, but the science simply isn’t there yet and the number of Native people who have tested remains small.
Simply put, most federally recognized tribes aren’t interested in more tribal members. More members mean a smaller piece of the pie for existing members. The pot of resources, whatever resources you’re discussing, is only so large and it must be shared by all tribal members.
What is a Tribe?
Tribes in the US fall into two categories. When most people think about tribes they are talking about federally recognized tribes. Those are tribes that have some continuity with the past, such as they have always been a tribe, or they still retain tribal lands, etc., and the federal government recognizes them as such. These are the tribes that qualify for government programs and many own casinos. As you might imagine, with the influx of casino money, the desire to join a tribe has increased significantly.
The second category is non-federally recognized tribes. Some are state recognized and others, not at all. State recognition does not in any way guarantee federal or state funding and there are no universal standards for state recognition. In other words, your mileage may vary, widely. Non-federally recognized tribes are often run as non-profit entities. In many cases, these tribes will help people research and document their genealogy and may be more open to tribal membership for those connecting with their Native heritage.
Be aware that some “tribes” that fall into the non-federally funded category may be less than ethical. Some tend to come and go. In one case, to apply to join, one had to provide information such as social security numbers and a complete family pedigree including your children. In some cases, membership is very expensive, hundreds of dollars, but is available to almost anyone for the right price. When evaluating tribes that are not federally recognized, if something sounds fishy, it probably is. Caution is the watchword.
In general, the federally recognized tribes do not feel kindly towards the non-federally recognized tribes and view them as “fake,” interlopers trying to get part of that pie. Of course, the non-federally recognized tribes feel differently; that they are reclaiming their heritage denied them. Native American politics is nothing new and is fraught with landmines.
No federally recognized tribes, to the best of my knowledge, have considered DNA testing as a criteria for membership. No federally recognized tribe has endorsed or participated in DNA testing that I’m aware of. This does not mean that individuals have not privately tested.
Traditional Genealogy Research
Given the criteria for membership in federally recognized tribes, traditional genealogy is the only way to obtain the type of information required. If your family history includes a tribal name, and east of the Mississippi, that most often is Cherokee, contact the various Cherokee tribes to inquire about membership criteria. If the membership criteria is 25% blood quantum, and you must live on the reservation, you’re toast…..no need to continue that line of research if your goal is to join the tribe.
If your goal is simply to find your Native ancestor, that’s another matter entirely. Begin by using the traditional research tools.
First, look at where your ancestor or that family line was located. Did they migrate from elsewhere? How were they listed in the census? Was someone listed as other than white, indicating mixed race? Check the records where they lived, tax records and others to see if there is any indication of non-European heritage. Remember that your non-white ancestor would have retained their “darker” countenance for at least 2 generations after being admixed. Many Native people were admixed very early.
So first, check the normal genealogy records and look for hints and traces of non-European ancestry.
Second, turn to Native resources that might reflect the Native people in the areas where your family is or was found. The Access Genealogy site is absolutely wonderful and has an amazingly complete set of records including searchable tribal rolls. In addition, I add information almost daily to the Native Heritage Project at www.nativeheritageproject.com, which is searchable. There are many more resources including several collections at Ancestry.com.
Hopefully, these records will help narrow your focus in your family tree to a particular person or two, not just a general branch. Family rumors like “Grandma was a Cherokee Princess” are particularly unuseful. What they more likely mean is that there was indeed some Native ancestry someplace in her line. Cherokee has become a generic word like Kleenex. It may also have meant that Indian heritage was claimed to cover much less desirable African heritage. Institutionalized discrimination existed against any people of color in pre-1967 America, but Indians generally retained some rights that people of African ancestry did not. Laws varied by state and time. Take a look at my blog about Anti-Miscegenation Laws and when they were overturned.
Now, let’s look at DNA testing to see what it can do for you.
DNA Testing to Prove Native Ancestry
There are three types of DNA testing that you can do to prove Native Ancestry. Two are very focused on specific family lines, and one is much more general.
- Mitochondrial for your direct maternal line.
- Y-line for your direct paternal line – if you are a male. Sorry ladies.
- Autosomal to test your ethnic mix and one direct marker test for Native ancestors.
On a pedigree chart, these genealogical lines look like this:
You can see the path that the blue Y chromosome takes down the paternal line to the brother and the path the red mitochondrial DNA takes down the maternal line to both the brother and the sister. Autosomal tests the DNA of all of the 16 ancestral lines shown here, but in a different sort of way.
Let’s look at each type of testing separately.
Y-Line DNA – For Paternal Line Testing for Males
The Y-line testing tests the Y chromosome which is passed intact from father to son with no DNA from the mother. This is the blue square on the pedigree chart. In this way, it remains the same in each generation, allowing us to compare it to others with a similar surname to see if we are from the same “Smith” family, for example, or to others with different surnames, in the case of adoption or Native heritage. Native American genetics isn’t terribly different than adoptees in this situation, because different English surnames were adopted by various family members, into the late 1800s and sometimes into the early 1900s, depending on the location.
Y-line DNA can tell you whether or not you descend from a common male genealogically when compared to another testing participant. Small mutations do take place and accumulate over time, and we depend on those so that we don’t all “look alike” genetically. It can also tell you by identifying your deep ancestral clan, called a haplogroup, whether or not you descend from early Native Americans who were here before contact with Europeans. For that matter, it can also tell you if you descend from those of African, European or Asian ancestry.
Scientists know today that there are only two primary haplogroups indicating deep ancestry that are found among Native American males who were here prior to contact with Indo-Europeans, and those haplogroups are C and Q3. It is not accurate to say that all C and Q3 individuals exist only in the American Native population, but the American Native population is part of the larger group worldwide that comprises C and Q3. We find some haplogroup C and Q3 in Europe but none in African populations, although we do learn more every single day in this infant science.
This sometimes becomes confusing, because the single most common male haplogroup among current Cherokee tribal members who have tested is R1b. How can this be, you ask? Clearly, one of three possibilities exists:
- The Cherokee (or those tribes who were assimilated into the Cherokee) adopted a European male into the tribe or a European male fathered a child that was subsequently raised as Cherokee.
- The R1b ancestor was not adopted into the tribe, maintained their European/American identity but married a Cherokee individual woman and their descendants are recognized as Cherokee today.
- There is some level of R1b admixture in the Native population that preceded contact with Europeans that we have not yet identified.
Because of the unique haplogroups for Native Americans who preceded European contact, Y-line is the only way to positively confirm that a specific line is or is not of Native American descent. This obviously applies to all of the individuals in the pedigree chart who directly descend from the oldest known ancestor in this paternal line.
Y-line testing does not indicate anything about the contributions of the other ancestors in this family tree. In other words, you could be 3/4th Native, with only the direct paternal line being European, and this test would tell you nothing at all about those other three Native lines.
When ordering DNA tests at Family Tree DNA, which is where I recommend that you test, everyone is encouraged to join projects. There are several types of projects, but to begin with, you should join your surname project. Not only does this group you with others whom you are likely to match, but this also assures that you receive the project based discounts. I blogged about how to find and join relevant projects.
You can test at 12, 25, 37, 67 or 111 marker “locations” on the Y chromosome. I generally recommend 37 or 67 to begin which gives you enough to work with but isn’t terribly expensive. At Family Tree DNA, you can always upgrade later, but it’s less expensive in total to test more initially. Right now, 37 markers cost $119 and 67 markers are $199, but a sale is currently underway.
Family Tree DNA also provides significant tools for Y-line DNA as well as Mitochondrial DNA. You can see both Family Tree and Ancestry Y-line results compared on this blog, which shows you how to use both companies’ tools. At Family Tree DNA, for all their tests, you are provided with the e-mail addresses of your matches. At Ancestry and 23andMe, you contact matches through their internal message system. My experience has been that direct e-mails have a better response rate.
The person looking for Native Heritage will be most interested in their haplogroup designation. If your haplogroup is either Q or C, you’ll want to join your haplogroup project, minimally, as well as other relevant Native American projects, and work with the administrators for further testing. Remember, neither haplogroup Q nor C are always Native, so deeper testing may be in order. You may also match others with confirmed Native heritage, including a tribe.
If the haplogroup is not Native, then you’ll have to take a look at possible reasons why.
One can never interpret non-Native haplogroup results of any one line to answer the much broader questions of, “do I have Native heritage”, “how much” and “where?” What you can do at that point is to continue to test other lines in order to discover the identity of your Native American ancestor.
Obviously, the Y-line test is only for males. Ladies, I feel your pain. However, these next tests are for both sexes.
Mitochondrial DNA – For Direct Maternal Line Testing for Both Sexes
Mitochondrial DNA is inherited by all children from their mother only, with no admixture from the father. Women obtain their mitochondrial DNA from their mother, who got it from their mother, on up the line into infinity. This is the red circle on the right hand side of the pedigree chart. Like Y-line DNA, mitochondrial DNA is passed intact from one generation to the next, except for an occasional mutation that allows us to identify family members and family lines.
Unfortunately, it does not follow any surname. In fact the surname changes with every generation when women marry. This makes it more challenging to work with genealogically, but certainly not impossible. Because of the surname changes in every generation, there are no “surname” projects for mitochondrial DNA, per se, but there are other types of projects. For example, the Mothers of Acadia project is using mitochondrial DNA to reconstruct the Acadian families including those of Native American heritage.
There are three levels of testing you can take for mitochondrial DNA at Family Tree DNA, which is where I recommend that you test. The mtDNA, the mtDNAPlus and the Full Sequence. The mtDNA test is a starter test that will provide you with a base haplogroup, but will leave people searching for Native ancestry needing a more complete test for full haplogroup identification confirming Native ancestry. I strongly recommend the full sequence test, but if the budget just won’t allow that, then the mtDNAPlus will do until you can afford to upgrade. Family Tree DNA is the only major lab that tests the full sequence region, plus, they have the largest matching data base in the industry.
To put this in perspective for you, the mtDNA and the mtDNAPlus tests both test about 10% of your mitochondrial DNA and the full sequence test tests all of your 16,569 mitochondrial locations. You can then compare them with other people who have taken any of those 3 tests. Pricing for the mtDNAPlus is currently $139 and the full sequence is $199.
MtDNA testing is not as popular as Y-line testing because it’s more difficult to use genealogically as last names change every generation. When you look at your matches, you have no idea whatsoever if you might be related to these people in a genealogically relevant time frame by looking at their last names. Those who have invested the effort to collaboratively work on their mtDNA matches, assuming a full sequence match and a shared geographical history as well, have been pleasantly surprised by what they’ve found.
A haplogroup assigning deep ancestry is provided through mitochondrial testing, so like the Y-line, depending on the haplogroup assigned, you will know if your ancestors were here before European contact. Maternal haplogroups that indicate Native heritage include A, B, C, D and X. Like Y-line DNA testing, none of these haplogroups are exclusive to Native Americans, so a full sequence level test will be required to confirm a Native American subgroup.
Testing the Y-line and mitochondrial DNA individually gives us a great deal of very specific information about 2 lines in your pedigree chart. The best method of identifying Native American ancestors is indeed to test as many lines on your DNA pedigree chart using this methodology as possible. Let’s take a minute to look at how to create a DNA pedigree chart.
DNA Pedigree Chart
If your Y-line and mitochondrial DNA have proven not to be Native, that doesn’t mean that the rest of your lines aren’t.
Let’s take a look at how to create a DNA pedigree chart so that you can focus your Y-line and mitochondrial DNA testing for other lines.
The purpose of a DNA pedigree chart is to provide guidance in terms of inheritance and also to provide a way of documenting your progress. My chart is shown below, as an example.
You can see the Y-line of my father and the mitochondrial line of my mother, on both ends of the pedigree chart. At the top of each line, I have recorded the haplogroup information for each family. Color coding each line helps in tracking descendants who would carry the DNA of the ancestor of that line. For example, my mother’s father’s mother’s line is the yellow Miller line. I need to find a daughter of my grandfather’s sisters, or their children, or their daughter’s children, to test for that mitochondrial DNA line. Which reminds me, I need to call my cousin. Family reunions, picnics and holidays are great for this type of thing. Sadly, so are funerals.
I blogged about how to put together your own DNA pedigree chart. You can get a free copy and instructions on my website too, at www.dnaexplain.com under the Publications tab. If you’re Native and adopted, then refer to the adoptee blog instead, or in addition.
But sometimes, we can’t find the right people in order to test, so we move to autosomal testing to help us fill in the blanks.
Autosomal Testing – For Both Sexes – The Rest of the Story
Autosomal DNA testing tests all of your 23 pairs of chromosomes that you inherit from both of your parents. You get half of each chromosome from each parent. You can see this pattern on the pedigree chart, represented by all of the 16 genealogical lines. Therefore, as you move up that tree, you should have inherited about 25% of your DNA from each grandparent, about 12.5% of your DNA from each great-grandparent, as have all of their other great-grandchildren.
Therefore beginning with your parents, you carry the following approximate amount of DNA from each of these ancestors. I say approximate, because while you do receive exactly 50% of your DNA from each parent, there is no guarantee that their parents DNA was admixed in your parents such that you receive exactly 25% from each grandparent, but it’s close. You can see the percentages in the chart below.
| Generation | Relationship | % of Their DNA You Carry |
|
1 |
Parents |
50 |
|
2 |
Grandparents |
25 |
|
3 |
Great-grandparents |
12.5 |
|
4 |
GG-grandparents |
6.25 |
|
5 |
GGG-grandparents |
3.125 |
|
6 |
GGG-grandparents |
1.56 |
|
7 |
GGGG-Grandparents |
0.78 |
Given this chart, if the Native percentage is back beyond 6 generations and drops below the 1% threshold, it’s extremely difficult to discern today.
Autosomal testing will pick up relationships reliably back to about the 6th or 7th generations, and sporadically beyond that.
Autosomal testing provides you minimally with two things. First, with a list of “cousin matches” by percentage and estimated relationship. Second, percentages of ethnicity. It’s this second part that’s most important for the person seeking to prove Native American heritage.
Percentages of Ethnicity
As the field of genetic genealogy has moved forward, research has begun to indicate that certain autosomal markers are found in higher or lower frequencies in different ethnic populations.
For example, if someone has the Duffy Null allele, or genetic marker, we know they positively have African admixture. We don’t know how much African admixture, or from which line, or when that individual with African admixture entered their family tree, but we know for sure they existed.
Attempting to determine the population frequency of varying markers and what that means relative to other populations is the key to this analysis. Few markers are simply present or absent in populations, but are found in varying frequencies. Some populations are widely studied in the research literature, and others are virtually untouched. Thousands have only been recently discovered as part of the National Geographic, Genographic project.
The process of compiling this information in a meaningful manner so that it can be analyzed is a formidable task, as the information is often found in nearly inaccessible academic and forensic research publications. It’s difficult to determine sometimes if the DNA analysis of 29 individuals in a small village in northern Italy is, for example, representative of that village as a whole, of northern Italy, or more broadly for all of Italy. Is it representative of Italy today or Italy historically? These and other similar questions have to be answered fully before the data from autosomal testing can be useful and reliable.
Having said this, the recent release of the National Geographic, Genographic Project version 2.0 holds great promise. It’s one of 4 autosomal tests on the market today that provide next-generation chip based wide spectrum testing which replaces the older CODIS type testing. The difference between the old and new technology is using 15 or 20 markers versus a half a million or so. They aren’t even in the same ballpark. If you want to see a comparison of the older type tests, read my paper titled Revealing American Indian and Minority Heritage Using Y-Line, Mitochondrial, Autosomal and X Chromosome Testing Data Combined with Pedigree Analysis.
Let’s take a look at all 4 of the contemporary autosomal tests and what they have to offer.
Genographic 2.0
Of the 4 tests, the Geno 2.0 is the newest and appears to reach back the deepest in time, meaning it may well be picking up anthropological results, not just genealogical results. We don’t know exactly how the analysis is done, but we do know, in general, that if you evaluate segments, you will get results closer in time than if you evaluate individual ancestry informative markers (AIMS).
You can take a look at the results of a man with Native ancestry on both his paternal and maternal sides. You can also take a look at the reference populations used by National Geographic in this overview of their test results.
Family Tree DNA
Family Tree DNA sells the Family Finder test. Right now it is priced at $199 or bundled with attractive pricing with either the Y-line or mitochondrial DNA tests. I often like to use this tool in conjunction with the Y-line and mitochondrial DNA tests to see, if you match someone closely, whether you are actually related to them in a recent timeframe or if it is further back. Family Tree DNA is the only one of the autosomal testing companies that has the ability to do this type of advanced comparison. Compared to 23andMe and Geno 2.0, they are the only ones to offer traditional Y-line and mitochondrial DNA testing which provides individual marker results and matches.
In addition to a list of autosomal matches, you will receive your breakdown of ethnicity, by percent. The results below are for the same man with Native ancestry whose Geno 2.0 results are shown in the Geno 2.0 – First Peek blog.
You can read more about the Family Tree DNA autosomal product on their FAQ.
23andMe
Another company that sells autosomal testing is www.23andme.com. In addition to a list of cousins, you also receive admixture percentages, and their specialty, health traits. You also receive a paternal and maternal haplogroup, but with no markers for personal comparison. These Y-line and mitochondrial results are not as accurate at the Geno 2.0 nor the Family Tree DNA Y-line and mitochondrial DNA full sequence tests.
Be aware that while people who test at Family Tree DNA are interested in genealogy, the typical person at 23andMe tested for the health portion, not the genealogy portion, and may not answer contact requests or may know very little about their family history.
Right now, their test is $99, and you can download your results and upload them to Family Tree DNA for an additional $89, making the total price similar to the Family Tree DNA test. However, you need to be somewhat technically savvy to complete the download/upload process.
23andMe recently released a new version of their software which added quite a bit of resolution after years of being woefully behind. Native American wasn’t even a category previously. You can take a look at the new format here.
Ancestry
Ancestry.com recently introduced an autosomal test. You receive matches and ethnicity percentages. However, their ethnicity percentages have significant issues and I would not recommend them at this time. Their cousin matches come with no analysis tools. So for now, just skip Ancestry and concentrate on the other resources.
One Last Autosomal Test
One marker value in particular, known as D9S919 is present in about 30% of the Native people. The value of 9 at this marker is not known to be present in any other ethnic group, so this mutation occurred after the Native people migrated across Beringia into the Americas, but long enough ago to be present in many descendants. You can test this marker individually at Family Tree DNA, which is the only lab that offers this test. If you have the value of 9 at this marker, it confirms Native heritage, but if you don’t carry 9, it does NOT disprove Native heritage. After all, many Native people don’t carry it.
To order this test, for existing Family Tree DNA clients, click on the “Order Upgrade” orange button on the right hand side of your personal page, then on “Advanced Test”, then enter “autosomal” in the drop down box, then you will see the list below. D9S919 is the last one and it costs $15. There may be a $10 one time transfer fee as well if your DNA sample is not in the Houston lab.
Swimming in Many Pools
As you can see there are lots of tools available to you that can be used individually or in conjunction with each other. Like anything else, the more work and effort you are willing to devote to the search, the more likely you are to be successful.
Most people test their Y-line and mitochondrial DNA, not just for Native ancestry, but to learn more about the lines they can test for themselves without reaching out to other family members.
Use your DNA pedigree chart to plan who to ask in your extended family to test for which lines.
Plan to test with multiple autosomal testing companies. Autosomal testing in particular is still in its infancy. I like to use the results of multiple companies, especially when you are dealing with small amounts of admixture. They use different markers, combinations, analysis tools and reference populations, so you can expect slightly different results. One company may pick up slight minority admixture while another may not. This has happened repeatedly with both my Native and African minority admixture.
GedMatch
After you obtain your results from either Family Tree DNA or 23andMe, you’ll want to download your raw data results and then upload the file to www.gedmatch.com. This is a privately run “donation” site, not associated with any of the testing companies, meaning there is no subscription or fee to use the tools, but they do appreciate and are funded by donations.
After uploading your results you can utilize several admixture tools to compare and contrast your results.
Getting Help
If you’re struggling with working through your family possibilities for who to test, I do offer a DNA Test Plan service.
If you would like a Personalized DNA Report for Y-line or mitochondrial results, those are available as well.
If you have what amounts to a quick question that I can answer in less than an hour, including prep, I offer the Quick Consult service.
For more extensive consulting, contact me. You can see my services here.
In Summary
Finding our Native ancestors is a way to pay homage to their lives and to the culture that was stripped from their descendants, ironically, by using their own DNA that has been gifted from them to us. Native people, after contact with Europeans were marginalized, and that’s the best that can be said. Many were killed, either intentionally or by European diseases, or enslaved. The results are that Native people left few if any individual records and those that might be available often can’t be identified or linked to them personally. For those who cannot unearth their Native ancestry using conventional genealogical means, genetic testing is the last hope left. Fortunately, the tools and our knowledge improve every day. We’re making great strides with what we can do, enlarging what was a pinhole into a keyhole, allowing us to peer into the past. So, click your heels, order your tests and let’s see where your DNA takes you.
If you’d like to order a DNA test, click here.
Native Heritage Project 
I started to do my genealogy when my Mother passed away Her childhood was extremely rough as it was for my Grandma & Great Grandma! I guess with that, our families mortality rate only makes it to our early 60’S! YIKES! So far no one in our family has been able to obtain any information about our heritage! Everyone, has either been fostered or adopted out! My mom was determined to break that chain! I am very fortunate for that! Never less, I’ve taken on the task to accomplish this mystery. So, I really appreciate informative websites and so far your number #1 in my book! Lol! Thank You!!!!!
Thank you for the kind words. I hope you find your ancestors and live to break the 60s record!
LOL! I am doing my best with a vengeance! I’m getting my fathers DNA code’s now so, I will be back. I appreciate the knowledge & your hard work. So, I like to try to contribute what I have for the benefit that helps others as well. I think that’s where the phrase “That’s what makes the world go round”. Comes from! Thanks again!
My mother’s father was full Arapaho. I have no documentation other than what I can find on Ancestry.com
I found my grandfathers military enlistment paper, but at the turn of the 1900’s if you weren’t white, you were colored.
He was buried in a military cemetery in Portland Oregon
Below is the tests I have had and just ordered.
Product Ordered
D9S919 6/4/2013
mtHVR2toMega 10/9/2009
Deep Clade Extended 8/20/2008
Y-STR DNA-FP Panel 5 Palindromic Pack 5/16/2007
mtDNAPlus 2/12/2007
Y-Refine37to67 1/4/2007
DeepSNP-R1b 7/28/2006
Y-Refine12to37 7/27/2006
Kit 3/14/2006
Y-DNA12 3/14/2006
Oscar Kelley
N23028
Actually, the draft enrollment cards did ask if they were Native. Can you find those for him? They are on ancestry. If he enlisted, he may never have enrolled for the draft, but there is always a chance.
We all start this after we grow up. I grew up hearing my grandfather tell of his Indian family and just thought he was telling me a fun story. I have since found a book with his Grandmother name Susan Catherine Burnett (Little Dove) in telling of her marriage and getting a land allotment. I can go back so far on Ancestry.com to my GG Grandmother and her marring a Burnett. From my research instead of Cherokee I think it’s Potawatomi. My mom is 94 now. Would it worth a DNA test and which one would be best. Or any other suggestion on how I can find documentation. I found a William Burnett (French) married Kaukeama but not sure if the child they had James E Burnett is my GGG Grandfather.
Absolutely test your mother while you still can. At http://www.familytreedna.com, purchase the Family Finder (autosomal) test and the mitochondrial DNA full sequence. I believe there is special pricing if you purchase both together.
I found Burnetts on Indian census.. but what year was she born ? Karen
kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com
My son just had his DNA tested through 23andme. He has about 4% Native American ancestry. We are interested in finding out where this originated, for strictly “just knowing” reasons; not to gain access to scholarships or money. What I found intriguing is that, even though only 4%, the DNA showed up in only one copy of each chromosome. It was in many chromosomes – a lot on chromosomes 2 and 20, and smaller amounts on 3,4,7,8,12 and 16. Does this yield any clues?
In my question above, I meant to indicate that, for such a small percentage of Native American ancestry, I was surprised to find it on SO MANY chromosomes, but just one of each set of chromosomes it was on, that I referenced above. I was also surprised to see that sometimes it was on the top chromosome of a pair, and sometimes, on the bottom one. On the 2nd chromosome, I was surprised that almost the entire line of one of the pairs was Native American.
I would like to be DNA tested
You can do that by going to http://www.familytreedna.com and ordering the relevant kit to your situation.
So I’ve recently done testing w 23andme, which I did because I am adopted and curious about my paternal roots. My maternal half sister also tested. She was 99% European, whereas I was 70%+ European, about 4% Subsaharan African, and about 20% Native American. I was pretty surprised! Also, SUPER curious for specifics. If I were to test with other companies, in your opinion, would I get any more specific results relating me to any definite indigenous/native groups? I would love to know more! 23andme gives more specifics for European regions, so I know some info on various European parts, but the NA group is just basically EVERY NA group from all of North & South America lumped together!
I wrote an article you may find interesting. http://dna-explained.com/2013/10/04/ethnicity-results-true-or-not/
Also, my blog is fully searchable by topic.
Pingback: 2013 – Native Heritage Project in Review | Native Heritage Project
Just a thought about the chart where you state the percentages of DNA that you receive from grandparents. I believe that a female would have slightly more DNA from her paternal grandmother because since the father cannot give her the Y chromosome, he passes along his whole X chromosome – which he got from his mother. Whereas the other copy of X that the female gets from her mother is a recombination of DNA from both of the mothers X chromosomes. Statistically I’ve not worked that out because I’ve yet had any inclination to. But basically the X chromosome from the paternal grandmother is also a recombination of her mother’s X and her fathers X. So the X passed along to the granddaughter through the father is one generation less recombined that the X chromosome from the mother.
Indian adoption in Florida was very common in the 1930’s.my family came from as all community in Florida called woods! Since grandmothers adoption was a closed case and she has passed they’re not willing to release the records.
Hi my name is vickie i am asking who i can talk to about getting the dna testing done on my self i was told i was a quarter native American . The tribe blackfoot i really would like to know. I looked into my family history and found some information and i would like to know and yes get my benefits if i can. I also would like to know how much thid will cost and can i talk to a live person. My number is 503-995-4646
The article you posted this comment to tells about the various options for testing. You can call Family Tree DNA to order if you would prefer. Each tribe sets its own rules for membership and I don’t know of any that accept DNA evidence. You’ll have to check with the tribe.
did you get any results? I also am a quarter or more native american (blackfoot tribe) i was always told my great grandmother was the chief’s daughter (princess) minerva…. but im not sure how to see just how much native american i am and what not with ancestry.com dna test not being as accurate as i would hope….. i dont think there database has grown enough to have all known native american tribes.
So can the daughter still ne tested to find her native heritage.
I would like to know.
Autosomally.
a few years ago my dna results surprised me — came back with Lumbee dna!!!
Knew it had to be the mystery branch of family tree which was supposedly Irish — long story short
gg grand dad was half (scot-irish and Lumbee)— no record of mother –his father identified as white in all records went from NC to MS and began pine plantation — gg grand dad moves to TX at age 20 (mexican border area) is drafted in TX Confederacy — described as white with dark complexion –dark hair and dark eyes!!! He deserts the Confederacy, joins Union Army in New Orleans and marries an Irish immigrant who spent childhood in Catholic orphanage — he kept a low profile his entire life and with dna and subsequent research I discovered my Lumbee gg grand dad —and I really like him
Hi , I know this truth i am a quarter native my self I do not know how to get the dna with out someone in the tribe as I under stand there needs to be some one in the nation to do dna with my family we do not know of any that is at least I know of at this time. I have been searching this for 15 years now. I do not know who to talk to about this to find someone that would be my blood family that I could do a dna with. I am still trying find out but limited info and something.I am half irish my self and a quarter native it would be nice to have more information to someone in the tribe to know for sure. I am going to keep trying.
By Lumbee DNA, do you mean NATIVE AMERICAN dna? Lumbee dna is kind of a tricky subject. People who belong to the tribe come back with some wildly varying results.
I am 27 years old and was adopted as an infant. I just recieved Dna results saying I am a quarter Native American and would like to know what are my options to try to re connect with any possible relatives I may have.. I have no info from my biological family and to be quite honest the circumstances of my birth were vague and hard to believe. Anyone willing to help would be greatly appreciated.
There are a number of ways to do this, none of them terribly straightforward. There is an adoption DNA group that specializes in this type of thing. http://dna-explained.com/2012/12/17/im-adopted-and-i-dont-know-where-to-start/
Hi,
I am Johnny Fountano. First I grew up being told that we have Blackfoot then later also Cherokee on my mothers side, (Florida, Georgia). None that I know of on my Texas father’s side, sir name Fountano. My cousin on my fathers side did a Y-line and mtDna and admixture test with African Ancestry.com to find his African lineage and the Y-line results came back Native American. I am on Ancestry.com and I ordered the y-line and the autosomal. I tested 33 markers on the y-line and came up with Haplogroup Q Native American/North east Siberian. The Autosomal came up 79% African 18% European including Scandinavian, British Islands, trace west European, and 1% trace west Asian. I am trying to find my Native American heritage. I wonder if I should take a Family Tree autosomal test to get a more accurate result? Also the cousins on the DNA match I have no idea how and what side of the family they are on. Most of the sirnames are none of what I am familiar with and some of them have Native American, but I cannot tell if the Native American part is related to me.
Thank You.
If you tested your mtDNA and Y at Ancestry, they are deleting those data bases as the end of September. You can transfer the data to Family Tree DNA or retest there. You can also transfer that results to Ysearch and Mitosearch.
Really? How do I go about transferring my Y DNA test result to Family Tree DNA? I have a print out of it with me now. I did not do a mtDNA because my mother in California is also on ancestry.com and she did a DNA test (I don’t know which one she did) But her ancestry match was 72% west African 20% European, mainly British Isles, and 6% uncertrain ( I believe that may be Native American). I asked her if she took the autosomal test, and she said no, The new autosomal test was not available, so I am not sure which test that was. I was told by my grandmother when she was living (Her mother) that Her mother was close to full blooded Indian and her father was 1/2 Cherokee. Her father was Joe Troutman from Georgia. But there was no indication of Indian on her DNA test from Ancestry. I believe it missed the Indian side.
Johnny
Go to their website at http://www.familytreedna.com and select that option, or call them on the phone to order.
I am half Southern and half post-Revolution European immigrant. My father, so far as we know, was probably the first person in his family to marry a non-Southerner in 200+ years. My mother’s side, the more typical American immigrant side, only came to the US in the 1800s, and we know the names and countries of origin for all of her direct ancestors (none arrived earlier than the 1850s). But my Southern side was always a mystery. I learned my great-great-grandfather’s name (paternal line) only after becoming an adult. Here’s my question: recent inquiries make it likely (if not certain) that every line on my Southern side goes back to before 1776, the majority of them including births in this continent between the 1620s and late 1690s in Virginia (12 to 15 generations for the longest lines)–Can traces of African, Jewish (Sephardic Jews and/or Ashkenazim), or American Indian DNA can be measured that far back?
My Southern family is white (extremely light complexion), and there are no rumors of Indian ancestors or anything of that nature; however, my father and his siblings have features completely unlike any white people I know and completely unlike their own paternal relatives. Old photographs have convinced me that the unusual features (extremely broad nose, for example) can be traced back to my father’s mother’s mother’s line, which came out of North Carolina, where some of them remained in one county (for some lines anyway) from the end of the 1600s until the 1910s or 1920s. No one is alive beyond my father’s generation to be tested, and I do not know whether the features continue up the maternal line or not, so I’m not sure whether my father’s sister would resolve things by being tested. Is there any way I can confirm or deny an African (Southern) ancestor if he or she is not in my paternal line and more than 7 generations back?
I just ordered 23andMe tests for me and my wife (whose ancestry is much more mixed than mine), but I now think that the questions I have cannot be answered because of the great time depth of my American ancestry. If there are any special tests that can reach back beyond 8 generations with any degree of precision, I would like to know about them.
I wrote about exactly that topic on my blog, http://www.dna-explained.com in the series called “The Autosomal Me.” Here’s a link to a summary article. http://dna-explained.com/2013/06/02/the-autosomal-me-summary-and-pdf-file/
Can you or anybody tell me what is the difference between the autosomal DNA test and the admixture test? I was looking at a show with Mr. Gates I think it was American Lives, and he traced featured people family trees and he ordered DNA ancestry test to find their deep ancestry. He used the admixture geneology method. Is that the same as the autosomal test? Another reason why I ask is Ancestry did a test on my mother and this is before their new atDNA test. So I assume that they traced her maternal line, and they came up with mixed ancestries including European and African with various percentages. I thought the mtDNA only points to a direct maternal line and it missed the maternal fathers and grandfathers, etc. and missed the maternal granmothers fathers lines. So did they do some kind of admixture? and what is the difference between an autosomal?
Thanks.
Johnny
Admixture is one of the things you get from an autosomal test. The other is cousin matches. The older tests were the Y and mitochondrial that tested specific lines – the Y, your direct paternal and the mito your direct maternal, only. Here’s an article about the different kinds of DNA. http://dna-explained.com/2012/10/01/4-kinds-of-dna-for-genetic-genealogy/
At the beging of site it was stated that there were no recongnized tribes to the best of your knowledgeknowledge that required DNA testing as part of the enrollment process. FYI the Kalispel Tribe from Washington state has been using this for years.
Thomas Chy McGuire
Enrolled Kalispel tribal member.
Hi Thomas. What I meant was that they don’t recognize DNA testing as a way to become a tribal member. Can you send me a link to more info about the Kalispell tribe and their acceptance of DNA results? Thanks much.
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I want to get DNA for tax exempt. My grandfather is Indian.
OSIYO
I have a semi unique situation. I’m sure I am not the only one, but haven’t found anything close to my situation since my searching for an answer. My Grandmother was a full blood Cherokee and has a roll number on the Dawes Roll, my Dad is half and I have no problem proving that I am 1/4 Cherokee. I live in Oklahoma and I do have my CDIB/Tribal Citizenship card.
My problem is: I have a full sister that is a year older than I am. Our parents were young, 14 and 16 when she was born. She was taken at birth and adopted by our Mothers Mother (white side of family) and she was raised as our Mother’s Sister and as my Aunt. When Mother gave birth to my sister, Mother gave her first name, but gave the last name of “her” mother on my sisters original birth certificate with father unknown. Therefore, on her original birth certificate, our white grandmother named and took my sister without having to adopt because her last name was already on the birth certificate. This was many years ago when things like this was not difficult to pull off.
She was only told a couple of years ago that we are full sisters. My sister and I are both in our early 60’s now and we are trying to get my sister her CDIB/Tribal Citizenship thru Cherokee Nation. Thought it would be simple and easy with a DNA of my sister, our Dad’s and mine if needed, especially since Dad and I already have our CDIB/Tribal Citizenship.
First, Cherokee Nation would not do anything without her original Birth Certificate which she only discovered a couple of months ago. Cherokee Nation has also told me that a DNA will not surpass as proof of her being a full sister of mine. My sister is trying to go the legal route without any success so far. No lawyer as of to date has given us any direction, paperwork or what is required to prove to Cherokee Nation that she is 1/4 Cherokee with the same linage that I have. Proving that she is my full sister and that we have the same Dad and Grandmother is not the problem, obliviously a DNA can prove that. The problem is how and what paperwork do we need as proof for Cherokee Nation to accept!
We originally thought that all we needed was a DNA as proof for Cherokee Nation, but not so! We were told that we need to do it thru the legal system. All party’s are willing to do what ever it takes but, no one can tell us exactly what we need to do or who to talk to. It would be so very much appreciated if someone could help us by letting us know what direction we need to go! Thank you.
OSIYO
I’m sorry – this is way out of my league.
Too many family lies, too many years that my sister, Dad and I have lost for us to give up now! Will continue searching for an answer Thank you anyway! Osiyo
I have been looking to get my tribal Abenaki papers all my life to learn more about my heritage. At the age of 4 I saw my greatgrandmother also have a picture of her.
I now i have creek native american blood in me on my mother side But what a mount of creek blood do i have ?creek middle ga please help james thanks
Trying to find my true heritage father known liar, mom not able to tell me anything now due to illness. Supposedly my father was adopted due to his birth father drowning in a lake on Cherokee reservation born another reservation in New Mexico. My mothers great grandmother looked very white but supposedly very Cherokee also. Any help would be appreciated. I did have to have seven blood test when I became pregnant the first time due to different blood types, they used the majority o-. Thank you for your research and information.
I’m from Madison, Wisconsin, born 1947 to a handsome German & a beautiful young woman whose Indian looks got her dubbed “Pocahantas” the moment they met!
My grandma was supposedly half Swedish/half Norwegian.
My great grandpa was a tailor who drank & often left his wife alone to travel to clients farms & small towns.
In their early years, the Bergfors family lived near, I think, Black Earth or nearby small town near Madison; 1900.
Great grandma one day answered her day during one of her husbands trips, to find a polite Indian man who said he had been assigned by the tribe to keep an eye on her; changing screen doors, shovelling snow, lifting heavy things.
He took care of her & I believe they developed a relationship.
When my grandma was young the family moved to Madison. They lived on the Capitol square; grandma’s father would get drunk & abuse her, chasing his 16 year old daughter with a belt!”
When grandma married a kind and protective man, she had two daughters; mother had dark skin, never burned, pitch black hair, warm brown eyes, very high cheekbones & natural love for Indian & bohemian styles of art & nature!
Dad dubbed her Pokey! She was precocious, pursuing dad from 15 yrs until he announced that as it was getting too expensive to date her, they may as well marry!
Great gran used to tease, in a deliberately off hand manner, that gypsies had left her! Or “You look just like a little Mexican baby!” And what impressed mother as she aged, was that never once did her gran mention her outstandingly Indian appearance!
Mother finally confided in me these connections & her growing suspicion about her mother’s heritage; she was not very Norwegian appearing more Swedish.
I believe grandma’s father knew or suspected his daughter may have had an Indian father and when he drank, his anger & resentment were impossible to control!
One more bit; when young I had plenty of cavities and used to have what dentists call a “busy tongue” when a dentist works on different people some patients tongues just lie there others move without cease. Recently, I read that Indians have a tiny dent behind their two front teeth?
And it rolled over me an ancient memory of sitting at my school desk, my tongue restlessly probing behind my teeth for two little dents!
It would be just wonderful to know if it is possible I have Indian blood?
My own cheekbone are also very high, & I am told I have “exotic” looks but I saw my own smile in the eyes I a photo of a Hochunk Indian woman named Janet Whitefeather & I was not surprised at all, but felt beautiful!
If you have any feedback or advise I’d be so pleased; it would explain a great deal about the 2 women who meant the world to me & about my own nature;
I believe the genetic markers could be such powerful “microchips” that we get remarkably strong emotions, reactions & drives for some things over others, messages from hundreds of years over time alive in us now; a child in Idaho suddenly at 8 years, began to speak an ancient chinese dialect that hadn’t been heard in several generations, & his use was correct it could have been an accidentally opened generic file?
Thank you so much; as soon as I can save for it I intend to use the 199$ test if you advise it?
A woman at another facility was dismissive and insisted I had absolutely no possibility of learning if I had indian blood from any currant testing so I was depressed!
She did mention the teeth & I felt the oddest sensation when she said it! I suppose I thought it was normal!
Sincerely, Carol Jean Vogelman
If you are 25% Native, meaning one grandparent, you will most certainly be able to tell via autosomal testing. That’s the Family Finder test at Family Tree DNA. There is a link on the sidebar of the blog.
My name is Nykkole Janelle Koeppel and my maiden name is Moore I’m looking around for where my husband and I can get our indian DNA testing done at
There is a link to Family Tree DNA on the sidebar of this blog. That’s where I recommend.
I would slightly disagree with your statement that there are no scholarships for NAs. No ‘free rides’, true, BUT every college I and my children checked out offer some SMALL scholarship, usually offered to all admitted ‘under represented minorities’, maybe only $1,000.00, but in college costs every little bit helps. Also, if you are borderline in test scores or GPA, being any ‘under represented minority’ will definitely get you in the door. Every college differs on their proof criteria, but most do not require tribal registration/membership, as no other minority would have any similar proof. In my experience, the bigger the tribe is and the more money they have from casinos or oil, the tougher it is to join. The smallest tribes, ones with more recent Fed recognition as a distinct tribe… tribes with no casino and no oil… the more lenient they are on admission.
Hi my name is heather and i have been told that my gggg grandma was full sioux and my dad supposedly lived on a reservation in Missouri. Also told my moms side has cherokee or blackfoot. And that my gggg grandma was often mistaken for being spanish so at the time they plYed it off so she wouldnt be hurt. Im trying to get info on it all and its so confusing. I just want to know what all me and my children have in us. Any suggestions on where to start?
This article described the different kinds of DNA you can test for depending on where in your family the Native heritage originates. I suggest starting with the Family Finder test and going from there. The link for Family Tree DNA is on the sidebar of this blog.
I have been told that my grandma (on my moms side) was 100% Iroquois. But when she voted she put Caucasian. . Does that mean she is not Native American or is it common to lie and say white? I do know that my sister joined a tribe when she was down South where she met her now husband. He actually took her last name and so did the kids. I do not really talk to that side of my family but I have an aunt who said we are Seneca… I think. All I know is from what I heard there are so few that “my tribe” has to live with other tribes. How can I find evidence to prove this? Is blood enough? I do not care about money or benefits as I am doing fine on my own. I just love different cultures and find it fascinating.
Many people passed for white when they could. You need to research the time and place to get a better feel for what her life might have been like there.
As I very well know I am German, English, Tenessee Cherokee as well as Dakota Sioux.
I am trying to put together the pieces that have eluded me for years.
How can I prove my heritage that I hold so dear?
I have pictures of my mothers side and it’s clear to see the Native American in my great, great grandmothers face although no records are available only stories of the past.
My fathers past is much more vauge and harder to obtain.
I only dream of a day to carry on my heritage with pride and dignity.
I am feeling the same way. I have ore than one native Indian in me I am a quarter native and I am half Irish as well I know this i was told that i was Blackfoot Indian I know this is Canadian and s i was told Alexander Henry Williams is my great great father whom i understand was a Blackfoot Indian chief . I realize I need to say I do not all the situations back then I do not know how to find out if I have any family members in the tribe that I can get dna with I had some people pass away with the information as well I would like to ask how I would go about doing this.
I am interested as I have a lot of people yelling at me because I am looking up the pass but I need the past to find the information I need to find out the information .
I also been told I had another grandmother her name is Alice Newton who was also native
I never got much information about for they would just say we are just to much mixed to find out so it seems to me I have some information that i got from the final rolls I would like to know some one could help me know what this is and means if there is any thing there I wan to be who I was meant to be. Not only this I have been teased and put down do to this in this i would like to know for sure. I know my family was saved in a massacre in Pottawatomie back in the day.
so I am looking into the hope that I might find out this information.
Thank you for responding as you all did.
Just doing some research Enoch Osborne was a 6th great grandfather to us. I started looking more into him and his story of how he and his brothers were attack in their camp by Indians. Solomon was shot in the camp the two others ran for it. Enoch out ran the Indian and disappeared into the dark. I was thinking how could he out run an Indian. I finally got to researching last night Enoch was part Indian. He descended from Anne Carter. My question would it be worth doing a DNA test? My Dad told me he remembers having a great grandmother who was also full blooded Cherokee. My dad passed away 14 years ago at 77 but he said he remembered her from his childhood.
Sorry Enoch Osborne descended from Mary Carter and James Osborne. I looked at the Shawnee Heritage IX. He had Arrohatak-Powhatan-Shawano-Metis. I believe that is what the book said.
Hey i live in Oregon i would like to get dna testing done to see how much indian and what tribe .
I do not have much money but i would like to find out the truth.
Please i ask.
Please this about finding the truth.
Im not sure what test to buy?
My grandmother on my dads side was 100% comanche and my father 50%.
I went to familytreedna but all i saw was the y and mt dna which was for my mothers side.
I take after my dad looks and all health issues.
So ide like to find out his side.
Given that you are a female and don’t carry the Y chromosome of your father, the only test you can take to discover your father’s heritage is the Family Finder autosomal test. This article might help. http://dna-explained.com/2012/10/01/4-kinds-of-dna-for-genetic-genealogy/
Would Autosomal DNA just give me a some up of both sides? With less complication.
It does, but it does not give you the same information as Y and mtDNA. And you have to sort out which side is which. I would not say it’s less complicated, but it’s certainly different than Y and mtDNA.
I’m trying to find a place where I can get the DNA test for free
I never met my Father.he left beforei was born my biological dad’s fathet is 100Percent. Indian mother cacaussian how do i prove that iam native American a percentage.i need help with college too better my self and any other i may be intitled too
sincerely
T.G.
This article that you commented on explains how to go about the DNA testing and about joining tribes.
Hi, My husband was adopted in Sioux City IA in 1969 when he was 2 weeks old. his adoptive mother always told him he was part Native American but, was very vague about any other information. We tested our DNA with 23andme and he came back as 47.6% East Asian & Native American with 35.1% of that being Native American. 50% was Western European. His maternal haplogroup is C4 so, it appears that his birth mother was Native American. Is it likely that his birth mother was 100% Native American? I know he would like know more about his heritage. Besides submitting the paperwork to the county in IA that is listed on his adoption paperwork to find out any of the non-sealed birth parent information, are there any other resources?
Yes. Go to http://www.dnaadoption.com.
How would someone a female find out. Native blood or not if it is only in the males.
It’s only males. Take a look at the article again.
Autosomanl DNA shows both… You cannot find out what tribe and no tribe will acept you with just DNA . All tribal members must be continous members in order to apply for tribal membership
Am interested in learning more about native american heritage. Was told my grandmother was of coushatta indian heritage. Would like to have full sequence tests done on myself to find out if i have native American blood. Have always been told i look like an indian.
You can test at Family Tree DNA whose link is in the sidebar of this blog. There is a sale going on right now.
I am the geneologist Lara AKA Trace refers people to… If you are a Native adoptee and need some help… send me an email Karen
kumeyaayindian@hotmail.com
Pam, that has the sister to was adopted is better off not worrying too much about tribal membership. That the Cherokee tribe is not accepting DNA proof from living recent familial relations as proof of Cherokee tribal citizenship is a flashing red light that they are rejecting the application for political reasons and not legality.
For those that want the very small scholarships offered for college based on ethnicity most of them are of far too small an amount to be really helpful and such scholarships exist for almost every ethnicity, not just Amerindians. There are scholarships based on being poor too. There are even scholarships based on education merit. I turned one or two down and instead chose to attend a college I could more reasonably afford. So forget wasting your free time looking for a free ride – you want money for college? Well then apply for a Pell Grant. A Pell Grant is supposed to be strictly financial needs based with no ethnic, genetic, or other factors used to determine eligibility. The main requirements are you be a USA resident of good legal standing and have financial need of money to attend college to obtain a bachelor’s or professional degree. And Pell Grants are a huge help to avoiding the debt like I had when I graduated college of $14,000.
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/eligibility
My great cousin, recently got her DNA completed & discovered according to her blood line my dads side, Campa side is 52% Sioux; would my blood DNA be a greater percent since she is my cousin daughter? I don’t want any grants, just want to pay homage to my ancestors & hopefully put to rest old demons the family has endured
You can test at Family Tree DNA. Their link is on the sidebar of the blog. Do I ever understand about old demons.
I live in the South, my grandparents and their parents were always referred to as Cherokee. I have paperwork that has our family lineage through maternal side only. It goes back to the 1100s (someone in our family did a lot of work on that) and the maternal side has always had the look of Native Americans with two sources as Cherokee and Poarch Creek Indian though now it’s not very noticeable in any of us younger ones (young being 60 for me). I am on disability, I don’t have money to search, don’t know if DNA would help me any. It seems through the generations that they preferred to stick with the Irish bloodline. I imagine they went through those years when people had Native blood they weren’t considered “white” and that was a bad thing, then. I would love to know, would love to find out if I really do have two Tribes in my blood. The DNA is confusing for me as to what I would need to do, I’ve looked into the Creek Indian Tribe but you can only get so far into that site unless you have proof that you are of Native blood. What would I need to do, with not very much money to work with, to find out if I am Native. I have a strong feeling for Native (I don’t like the term of “Native American” since they had been here on this land and went through the destroying of the land via Europeans and I’ll leave that for now) and I just would love to know about my heritage, if they are really my People and I am of the People. I’m not on a money quest with this, just the longing to know – to get to know my real People. Thanks for any help. The maternal side from Ireland trickled down into and throughout the states of TN, AL, GA, MS, VA FL, etc. Even if I’m not of the People I still love the culture, I love my favorite dream of waking in a Tipi lying on soft hides, the smell of the low fire in the lodge center, the low voices talking, soft laughter. They had taken me in and I was with them. I could feel the packed dirt when I stretched out my hand, the feel and smell of small patches of low grasses, with different aromas. This was the best I ever felt in a dream and it stays with me, I knew I was home in that dream. I don’t want this to be just a dream, but I guess I’ll take what I can get. I do what I can to support any Tribes – they were run out of, killed off, their food supply and way of living destroyed – sorry, I digress. So, what would I need to do, how much would I need to spend and how, through DNA, or if not DNA recognition, then what? I’m pretty technologically handicapped too (understatement). Thanks for any help at all!
If your maternal side is Irish, then the only test available to you in the autosomal Family Finder type of test. It will provide you with ethnicity estimates, but if the full blooded Native ancestor is more than 5 or 6 generations back in time, it’s unlikely to pick that up. Most people today that are heavily admixed are not successful with these tests because the Native people were already admixed quite early and there have been several generations of admixture between then and now. I would suggest working on the genealogy aspect as you probably stand a better chance of success.
My husband says he is 1/4 cherokee necause his mom who is deceased was 1/2 cherokee and her mother was full blooded cherokee indian What can he do to prove his heritage ?
The answer is in the article you just commented on.
I was recently in Oklahoma and a native told my mother that she liked as if she has Indian in her blood.If proven she could go to college and other incentives for free as well as her kids.How do we go about this.we have already did an ancestry trail as for as we can go, the lady said that somewhere in Oklahoma, they could look it up.please help, thank you
I would call the tribe.
How do get a check if I am 3 quarter American Indian
As a female, you can take two tests. The mitochondrial DNA test tests only your mother’s direct maternal line, but tells you specifically about that line. The Family Finder test tests all of your lines and gives you a percentage estimate.
I’m lost. All I know is that my great grandmother was Native American from Canada. I am French Canadian born in US. I don’t have a lot of money and not sure what lab to use (Los Angeles area), some have terrible reviews. Sounds like genelogical research is best.
If you are Native through your Mother’s mother’s mother’s line, directly up that line maternally, then order the mitochondrial DNA test from Family Tree DNA. It will confirm that or not. If you are Native on a different line, then order the Family Finder test from Family Tree DNA. The company is out of Houston and will mail you the test kit. Their link is on the sidebar of the blog.
I was told my hole life that that I have Cherokee,and Potawatami but how much not sure how would i find out how much Indian I am. i have Indian on both sides father side and mother side
I know my ancestry, but I am having such trouble proving it. Errr. There is no birth certificate for my grandmother (that I know of) and her death certificate does not list her parents. The Chickasaws do not count the census (which would be 1920) as proof. I’ve always heard she was born in Oklahoma, but the census lists’ Wyoming. I actually sent a request to search for a birth cert. there, but they could not find anything.
Hey my boyfriend is Blackfoot and Cherokee and he wants to know how he can and roll of tribe or get into it if you can let me know please and thank you and I appreciate it and he as alot of Indian in his face and skin color of an Indian but if you can please let me know but again my name is Ashley I’m doing this for my boyfriend
As the article says, each tribe has their own enrollment criteria, so you’ll need to contact them for that. He can order the DNA tests, if he wants, from Family Tree DNA whose link is on the sidebar of the blog and also in the articles. There are three tests and the article talks about the 3 different tests. Which one he might want to order depends on where he thinks the Native person is found in his family tree. Here is another short article that may help him make the decision as to which test or tests are best for him. https://dna-explained.com/2012/10/01/4-kinds-of-dna-for-genetic-genealogy/
I want to know so I can live better learn teach my children and I really want to know because I have Indian on boths side
Hi! Quick question my ancestors are Clovis Montana, Native American, pre- Native American, Siberian, Asian, Hungarian, Russian. When I saw on gedmatch the Clovis I was a bit astonished. I would love for you to talk about that, I know that my mother is h1n. Because I’m a female I don’t know my fathers group. If you could explain the Clovis Montana, does that prove native status. P.s I also still have unspecified dna, not sure what that’s about. New to all this.. Thanks
No, that does not prove Native status. Each tribe has their own rules. This article may help you understand ethnicity better. https://dna-explained.com/2016/02/10/ethnicity-testing-a-conundrum/
Debra Snipes I am try to find out what I mix with
where can I start on checking my ancestry . my grandpa was 100% Kickapoo and my grandma was 100% spaniard from my mom side. And from my dad side my grandpa was 100% spaniard my grandma unknown
Begin with talking to family members and writing down what they know. From there you can move to census and other documents.
Hi,
First, this is great stuff. From my father’s side I am an 8th generation male from France (to Canada). On my mother’s side, I thought we were all Scotish/Irish/English. We found out that my Uncle, a few years older than me is a designated Wampanoag Indian in Nova Scotia. So, I suppose, just a question: I don’t want any benefits, I just love history, should this be pursued on genetic level? I have the attributes of the tribe but is it coincidental, does he have more/less than me? I have seen our history on my mothers side which relates us to 2 separate families off of the MayFlower, no kidding. And one of them marring a Wampanoag Princess in (what is now MS.) I think it may be looking into on my Mom’s side since I can go back to 1603 in France on my Dad’s side. Ideas? Thx all!
You will never know what you don’t know unless you test.
Best test to take? Just tell me, please
And, thank you 🙂
I would start with the Family Finder test for $79 unless you have reason to thing your Native ancestor is on your direct matrilineal side or your direct patrilineal (surname) side. The link to the testing company is on the sidebar in the blog.
Thank you, yes, I have my father’s side to 1603 in Bar-le-Duc, France. My maternal side is quite interesting since my mother’s youngest brother, was accepted as Wampanoag Native. And his history shows him related to a Wampanoag Princess and two families from the Mayflower. So, a general test is not too necessary, I’d rather peck on my mom’s side?
Hello Roberta, I know this is a long, but please, be patient with me. I read your “Proving Native American Ancestry Using DNA” It was quite helpful for me and cleared up several things for me. My father’s DNA tested by Relative Genetics was later transferred to Ysearch, then WorldFamilies. Since I do not understand enough about reading the results, I was told that there were two markers that had to be converted by FTDNA. You mentioned above about the marker D9S919, would that be the same as DYS395 on my father’s results? And, can you tell me if a certain tribe is consider a “fake”, as my father was contacted by a match,( that may have also been fooled if this is a “Fake NA group” which in turn, after 4-5 yrs of working together, my Grandpa Snow and his sister, were found in the census, telling me who his parents were. I knew it was correct mainly because of the names, birth dates, and the mother’s first name. And she divorced and returned from OK IT to her birthplace in AL. She must not have been able to take care of the two children and were placed in an Orphanage in Atlanta GA, when she was living with her sister in Atlanta. I did find my Grandpa and his sister living as adopted in 1910 in GA. Since then I located through Census the grandfather, and great grandfather of Grandpa Snow. Also, after much searching and comparing our notes and research, I do find numerous areas where her family and mine were in association as far as locations and dates. I might add, our two surnames are not the same. I am questioning whether my father’s gg grandfather fathered a male child with a NA female since the surname is not the same. Back to my question, the match I worked with, belonged to a NA DNA project and suggested I submit the results, in turn I was accepted. Since then, I have seen a blog online stating this particular group is a Fake. How can I find out if they are and if my results are true. According to a note I made on the results sheet, my Father’s Haplo is probably R1b, also known as HG1 (old). (Not sure what that HG1 means) I do not know if the NA group told me or if the Relative Genetics Co. told me that piece of information. How would I find out if the results does or does not indicate Native American connection? I appreciate your help and your article.
Linda Snow Davis
I would be glad to do a quick consult for you to help straighten this out. If you are interested, you can purchase on my webpage at http://www.dnaexplain.com.
Also most tribes are maternal not paternal. The mothers blood is the important one, not the fathers. Which is why my mother is 50/50 between two different tribes and 100% native ammerican. 1/2 one tribe half of the other. Im considered a halfbreed but my blood is 1/4 of each tribe totaling 50%. Her brother my late uncle was 100 of only one tribe. Even though they had the same mom and dad.
Also most tribes are maternal not paternal. The mothers blood is the important one, not the fathers. Which is why my mother is 50/50 between two different tribes and 100% native ammerican. 1/2 one tribe half of the other. Im considered a halfbreed but my blood is 1/4 of each tribe totaling 50%. Her brother my late uncle was 100 of only one tribe. Even though they had the same mom and dad. Also it is possible to be 100% native american but not eligible to be enrolled in any tribe. An nativve like my mom marries another like her. Their kids will be 100% native but their blood is 1/4, 1/4, 1/4 & 1/4. If they married similar then still 100% but 1/8th 1/8…..(average lowest blood in my area) and if they married similiar its 16th of each tribe. Which for my tribe wouldnt let them be enrolled at 1/16th.
I agree. Native American Tribes are very particular who they will bring into their Tribe, if you don’t look full blooded Najavo, they won’t even let you on a reservation in New Mexico. So it makes me laugh when people think they can get into a Tribe (like it’s a club or something) if they only have 1/8 or 25% Indian. My family is mixed; we have Apache on my dad’s side, and Navajo on my mom’s side, my Great Grandmothers were full-blooded Native, but we (my siblings nor my parents) certainly don’t go around calling ourselves Native American. We have a lot of Spanish and French blood too. We are just mixed. White people might consider someone Native if they only have 25% Indian, but most Tribes won’t. You are just mixed.
Thank you for putting together this site. I am in the process of using my DNA and waiting for the results of my mother’s DNA to help solve a family mystery. My mother’s grandfather said that his mother was a Mattaponi Indian and had to go to the reservation (In Virginia) for three months out of every year. We have yet to conclude that we have any Native American blood in us and with my fair complexion, it seems almost crazy. None-the-less, mom is really looking forward to learning more about her heritage. I have been diligently working on our family tree through Ancestry.com for over three years, but am having problems determining that this woman (her great grandmother) was actually Native. They are talking about the adulteration of the Virginia census records due to the Racial Integrity Act making it difficult for some Virginia Indians to be traced. But I will not give up. I don’t know if you can provide any insight about how to specifically work with the Virginia Indians due to their political past, but any information would be useful. I can also provide a very detailed family tree if needed.
I’m getting old (going to be 68 years old this month), but I’m trying to get together my family tree. My father’s parents were from Southern Italy, but my mother’s maternal and fraternal parents were from Pennsylvania (Irish and Scottish), but my mother said her father’s ancestors (I don’t know-great grandparents) were Cherokee or some tribe in the are of Western Pennsylvania. Yes, my maternal grandfather did (he’s deceased) have Native American features. I’m curious and would like to know the details and if this is really so. I did an Ancestry DNA and there were ‘unspecified’ percentages. I have five children and they have no living ancestors, but us, their parents, and an uncle, and cousins on my side (Pennsylvania). I would really like to put together a chart. Would you please help and direct me on what I can do to solve this identity problem. I do love the Native Americans (tribes). I don’t want it for any ‘personal gain’. I probably won’t live that long anyway (health problems), but I would like to leave my children as much knowledge as I can about their ancestry. On my father’s side, according to Ancestry.com DNA test, I’m 50% Italian / Greek (didn’t know about the Greek, but I thought my Italian grandfather looks a little Greek and my Italian grandmother looks a little African. I would appreciate your help because my mother always said that on her dad’s side we had Native American in us. He was from Claysville, PA (Western Pennsylvania). Thank you.
I am female and trying to determine who my biological father is. The person I have been told it is has refused paternity testing so I can be sure. He is native and supposedly full but he is adopted so I don’t know for sure. I already have native rights but look so Caucasian and nothing like my siblings with the same parents. I just want a way to find out for sure and am a bit confused by the above. Would autosomal testing tell me this if he has at the very least a high percentage of Aboriginal blood where I’m female? I’d like to find a test where I didn’t have to involve any other family members.
Given your situation, the autosomal tests showing ethnicity are your best bet. There is a link on the sidebar to Family Tree DNA and you want to purchase the Family Finder test. That includes ethnicity percentages.
I need help here.I have never associated myself with being Native American as I am white but I have recently been looking at their charectoristics and I have noticed that I have nearly all the charectoristics listed like the second toe being longer than the big one and the extra foot bone or arch (bacicly my feet are identical to the description of Native American feet plus I have the heavy eye lids and the extra fold in them I also have dark brown eyes and high cheek bones. I have never researched my history past my great grandfather so I do not know of any tribal history but what do you guys think as I would like some other thoughts
If you are searching for your Native American heritage or your tribe, read these two articles:
Physical attributes are not specific to Native people and the internet is full of misinformation. I would suggest that you work on your genealogy and test your DNA, both.
My tribe doesn’t have blood quantum laws, but I do have to prove it by turning the birth/death cirtificates of my ancestors. This will be a pain to have the government print that stuff for me. Lol, but if I’m successful I will maybe get a scholarship! Hopefully…^.^
Research In genomics in Mexico as I understand it shows that there is different genetic make-up in different indigenous people in Mexico? I may be wrong and it may take more research but if that is the case then one could narrow their search of there native ancestry. My DNA results from Ancestry.com state that I am 55% native American and the rest of European regions It also states for the last 300 years my ancestors were mainly in South Texas down to central Mexico. Please I want to read your response Roberta.
We have an adopted daughter that we did not know what her nationality was …so we did an DNA…..with 23andMe and it came back that she was 54% Native American…. I would love her to find out more about her Native American history is….. I don’t know how to go about it
Her mtDNA haplogroup will tell you if her matrilineal line is Native. Contact DNAAdoption for more info and techniques for adoptees. Testing her mtDND at Family Tree DNA will give you matches on that line.
What is the difference between autosomal test and the mtdnd haplogroup test?
Read my article titled 4 Kinds of DNA on http://www.dna-explained.com. That explains the difference.
Hi Roberta,
My name is Jenni and I was always told by my grandfather and my father that I am 1/4 Mohawk
Indian on his side from my great great grandmother Millie. According to your article on researching Native American DNA, my only resource would be to do autosomal testing, as both my father and grandfather are now deceased and I am an only child. Also, that I could do mtDNA testing should I want to test my mother’s side? Your article was informative, just that I’ve read some others and I am tring to grasp the basic understading of the DNA Testing in general (scientific terminalogy) and the steps needed to take in researching one’s geneology. My grandfather hired someone to research his side, so to avoid my havong to do so later; however, do to both financial hardship and health issues, I lost ALL valuable information that he obtained ( family photos, birth records, names, marriage records, courthouse records). My family is African-American, so this was a huge blow to me. Any information you can give in general would be helpful as I start this journey again by myself.
Thank you
Yes, your mtDNA will show your mother’s direct maternal line. Your autosomal will show your ethnicity estimate and matches on all sides, but you will have to figure out which matches are from which sides. I would suggest that you write down what you know about your grandparents and their parents, and start your genealogy from there. Please also see the help tab on the blog for more suggestions.
Wow, I really enjoyed reading this but got soooooo lost. Here is my family situation. Like so many, there was no information or even discussion in our family about our heritage. As one article said, our family just always said we were of Cherokee line. My Grandmother died at an early age. My dad was 10. HIs mother had three children. She is suppose to be a descendant of the Colbert line, but my Great Grandfather, her father, was James Colbert and his wife was Annie Young. When they came to Texas, they settled in Tyler Texas. Rumor had it they were on their way to register in Oklahoma but under the “Young” line. Both were said to be 100% Native American. One of the girls got sick and they never made it, this was early 1900. One Census I saw that James was listed as B as race, her W. Both were from Tennessee. Her father, James and Annie had 3 girls, Minnie, Willie Mae and Nellie. Nellie had married a Jean Vanden, no Native American affiliation. Their son, Bobby Vanden has now taken two DNA tests via Ancestry and it comes back 0% Native American! He is now 96. His half brothers son, Jim Byrd, being Annie Young’s grandson, also comes back 0% Native American. My brother and sister have taken tests and they come back 0%. I am finding very little information on any of them in Ancestry and I have been advised that perhaps I should go to Alabama and meet the Colberts at their reunion. My Grandmother had a child that never had a birth record and used my father’s father’s name all her life, but she is now deceased and her only son is now deceased, but had a lot of the Native American physical traits. I have run into walls trying to find out anything about who her father possibly.is. My Great Grandmother is listed on birth records, but her mother’s name is Unknown. Her father was Jim Young. It’s all been so frustrating. Annie and James list their parents as one being from North Carolina on the census, the other South Carolina. So, any help to find out our heritage would be great. No one discussed anything during our growing up and now that they are all gone, its hard. I know we have other family out there. I have photos of ppl no one of us know who they are.
Hi I’m looking to find out what Indian tribe I’m from my DNA said I’m 52% eEuropean and 35% indigenous American 13% sub =saharan my ancestors were ffrom Sonora Mexico Agua prieta my parents were from Arizona my DNA doesn’t give me imformating aabout what tribe im ffrom if you can tell me were to look for imfo thank you for your time I hope you can derethe to find out
Resources for you at these two links: https://dna-explained.com/help/ and https://dna-explained.com/2017/11/01/native-american-dna-resources/
hello I would like to have some help please I have heard my whole life that we are native American but it is distant i’m not sure what tribe I took the dna test and it showed no native American but a ton of Asian dna west Asian and east and south west and east a little African but the thing is I have a first and second cousin who took the dna test with the same grandparents and she showed positive.. they are some dead ends on my family tree that I cannot get past I have been researching and trying to find out for years it haunts me 😦 the dna on dnamatch shows tons of American indian dna markers as well but I carry none of the dna. if this makes sense how can I go about finding the lsot ancestors in my tree I have been looking forever.
This will help: https://dna-explained.com/2017/11/01/native-american-dna-resources/
I forgot to add, do you share information about the Dawes Act? The 5 dollar Indians? Can you elaborate on the census in 1790’s when the US government was classifying populations and name some groups copper colored, colored, mulattos, negroid and native simply because of their skin color.
I want to follow my fathers ancestry. He was at least 25% Native American. The only problem is my Grandmother named all her children with the last name, even the ones not born from my Grandfather. No one knows exactly which children. I want ancestry and dna from my father directly and not my mothers. I am a female. what is the best path for this?
If you have a brother from that father, his Y DNA would be the same as your father’s which would help you. Here is a list of articles that will help you understand. https://dna-explained.com/2017/11/01/native-american-dna-resources/
I did my ancestry DNA in January and it came back I was 58% native American how would I find out what tribe i’m from ! How do I get started ! it say i’m from North, Central, South northeastern Mexico & south Texas. Southeastern Coahuila & South western Nuevo Leon Nuevo Leon ,Northeastern Tamaulipas & SouthTexas.
I wrote an entire page of useful information about Native American heritage. https://dna-explained.com/native-american-dna-resources/
This question has been asked many times in the past. One has to know the history on why it is that there is more Native or Indigenous blood bein found by DNA test today. Spaniards founded the Americas in 1492 actually he landed in the Bahamas and is bein credited for discovering America HAHA. The Spaniards were more brutal then their cousins the English and French. They invaded south of the border in the name of their Queen and the Catholic Pope and killed enslaved raped Native women that’s why there is mixed blood on almost every Native today south of the border. As far as tribe Affiliation it’s goin to very hard to prove what tribe you may be from many tribes are extinct or were spread out in Spanish settlements. More studies has to be done on Genomes Genetics maybe in the future there can more answers on maybe from what region your Ancestor’s were for thousands of years and came from.