To DNA Test or Not to DNA Test That is the Question!

DNA TESTING AND PROOF OF ANCESTRY FOR GENEALOGICAL RESULTS

Although I will often suggest you should take a DNA test here is some information why it may or may not help determine if you have Native American ancestry.

Three types of DNA testing—Y, mitochondrial, and autosomal

Y DNA is inherited by males from their fathers. 

Daughters don't inherit and need to ask their father, brother, uncle, or a  
male descended from the suspected male Native ancestor to take a Y  
DNA test.

Y DNA is divided into genetically related groups, known as haplogroups - haplogroups Q and C are found among the indigenous inhabitants of the Americas.

Mitochondrial DNA is passed directly from mothers to both sexes of children - only females pass it on.  DNA falling into subsets of haplogroups A, B, C, D, and X.

Y DNA and mitochondrial DNA or mtDNA, descend from one particular line reaching back thousands of years.

Autosomal DNA is inherited differently than either Y DNA or mitochondrial DNA. Every child inherits half of each of parent's autosomal DNA on chromosomes 1-22, typically known as the autosomes.

While both mitochondrial DNA and Y DNA test only one specific line, reaching back in time indefinitely, autosomal DNA tests all your DNA lines, but not deeply.

Think of Y and mtDNA as deep but not broad, and autosomal as broad but not deep.

Autosomal DNA is utilized in two ways:

·      DNA matching to other testers identifies matches with people that occur in a genealogical time frame, typically within 5 or 6 generations, but sometimes back 10 generations or so. Autosomal DNA is divided in each generation, with each child inheriting half of each parent's DNA. Therefore, half of the ancestral DNA is lost in each generation until discernable DNA from individual ancestors can no longer be identified.

·      Ethnicity or population-based estimates can be made.

Of course, matching to other testers can be and is very important to genealogy, but if you're searching for confirmation of Native American ancestors, you'll want to use all the different types of DNA in addition to traditional records.  DNA matching may be very important after you identify a Native ancestor but may not be the most useful tool early in the identification process.

Not all vendors include X DNA in their results, and Ancestry does not provide segment information at all, so you don't know if they are utilizing X DNA or not.

As a genealogist or person researching their potential for Native American ancestry you will not be able to positively say that you are of Native American ancestry, but it can give you some clues to help.  In other words, an aid to help you in your research efforts.

You may, and I stress the word may, be able to discern several pieces of information based on various types of DNA test results:

·    Confirmation through Y and mitochondrial DNA haplogroups that your ancestors were in fact Native.

·    Segments of your autosomal DNA identified as Native by either 23andMe's Ancestry Composition or FamilyTreeDNA's myOrigins Chromosome Painting that you can potentially use to identify people who match you on those segments.

·    Suggestions based on matches and their known history as to the region where your ancestors lived. For example, if your mitochondrial DNA haplogroup is confirmed to be Native, your closest mitochondrial DNA matches might be clustered in the Pueblo region of New Mexico, which would suggest that area would be a good location to focus your search.

·    Common ancestors of your matches. If your matches share a common ancestor with one another, that ancestor, or a relative, might be your ancestor too. For example, if three of your Y DNA matches all descend from John Deer Runner, you might have a connection to the John Deer Runner family, or you might not. Build your tree back as far as possible and see if you can find a connection of some sort—either genealogical or geographical.

·    Autosomal DNA may lead you to shared ancestors, common regions, matching Native segments, and more.

You will probably need to utilize multiple tools along with traditional genealogical records to reveal specifics.

I recommend this website for further information:  DNAeXplained – Genetic Genealogy | Discovering Your Ancestors – One Gene at a Time (dna-explained.com)

Exerts from the Book:

Estes, R. J. (2021). DNA for Native American Genealogy. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company.