56 percent Native American?

[Cindy]

My DNA results say that I am 56 percent Native American and this came as a huge surprise because both of my parents' families are European. They migrated to Mexico very recently.

On my dad's side, all of his grandparents were supposedly European immigrants. They migrated to Mexico in the late 1800's. They were blond and blue-eyed. On my mom's side, her grandparents were also immigrants, from Spain. Her father was blond and had green eyes. How did I end up with such a high reading of Native American? Neither of my parents has enough of a percentage of Native American to produce a child who has such a high percentage. I might have one or two great-great grandparents who were mixed with Native American but wouldn't that make my own readings very low?

[Cindy]

I did some research and my understanding is that because I'm a woman, the DNA test found the Native American from my mom's side. Is that correct? And it might be that I happened to inherit that ancestor's Native American genes even though there is alot more European in my family background and I look far more European. Is this correct?

[admin]

Originally posted by Cindy
I did some research and my understanding is that because I'm a woman, the DNA test found the Native American from my mom's side. Is that correct? And it might be that I happened to inherit that ancestor's Native American genes even though there is alot more European in my family background and I look far more European. Is this correct?

Cindy, did you also do an mtDNA?

[Cindy]

No, I haven't taken the mtDNA test yet but I plan to. The test that I took was the DNAPrint Test. Sorry about my confusion. I'm sure my questions have simple explanations but the whole DNA topic is so complex for me.

[admin]

Originally posted by Cindy
No, I haven't taken the mtDNA test yet but I plan to. The test that I took was the DNAPrint Test. Sorry about my confusion. I'm sure my questions have simple explanations but the whole DNA topic is so complex for me.

The DNAPrint test won't tell if the NA ancestry comes from maternal, paternal or across lines.
mtDNA can tell if it's on a straight maternal line
Y-DNA on your brother or father can tell if it's on a straight paternal line.

[Yolanda]

mTDNA test Native American and Mexico

Hi - I took the mtDNA test and it showed 42% Native American which I was surprised to find out. Maybe you can help to clarify my understanding on which indigenous tribes are considered Native Americans in terms of North America. My family tree is primarily from Mexico and Spain with some mullatto so I am a Mestiza.
I guess my guestion is when you use the term "Native American" in the mTDNA results provided by your organization are you including indigenous people from the area of Mexico down to the Yucatan in that term?

Just trying to understand if my mtDNA test is reporting that my Native American percentage is from one of the North American tribes that the American public is more familiar with. If so then I need to do more research into my family tree.

Thanks for clarifying what "Native American" means in terms of indigenous tribes throughtout areas in North America and Mexico.
Yolanda

[Don Potter]

Yolanda,
Which mtDNA test are you refering to that shows a percentage? A mtDNA test should show mutations and maybe a haplogroup. ? ? ? ?
Don Potter Jr

[Victor]

Yolanda, native American includes all native tribes or peoples on the American continent that were here previous to the European colonization.

mtDNA is either native American or not. If your mtDNA test reported haplogroup A, B, C, D or X then it means a native American ancestry on your maternal line.

Victor

[Victor]

I did some research and my understanding is that because I'm a woman, the DNA test found the Native American from my mom's side. Is that correct? And it might be that I happened to inherit that ancestor's Native American genes even though there is alot more European in my family background and I look far more European. Is this correct?

Cindy, you have to consider the possibility that native genes in general could be more dominant and therefore would show up in your results in a disproportionate percentage to your genealogical make up.

Just some thought. If somebody else disagrees with my opinion, please correct me.

Victor.

[haplogroupc]

Hi - I took the mtDNA test and it showed 42% Native American which I was surprised to find out. Maybe you can help to clarify my understanding on which indigenous tribes are considered Native Americans in terms of North America. My family tree is primarily from Mexico and Spain with some mullatto so I am a Mestiza.
I guess my guestion is when you use the term "Native American" in the mTDNA results provided by your organization are you including indigenous people from the area of Mexico down to the Yucatan in that term?

Just trying to understand if my mtDNA test is reporting that my Native American percentage is from one of the North American tribes that the American public is more familiar with. If so then I need to do more research into my family tree.

Thanks for clarifying what "Native American" means in terms of indigenous tribes throughtout areas in North America and Mexico.
Yolanda

Yolanda,
Did you mean that you took the DNAPrint? That’s the test that gives you a percentage.

To answer your question, yes, “Native American” includes the indigenous people of Mexico. The term “Native American” includes all indigenous people from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and South America. In the U.S. people who are a percentage of Native American are called Native American. In Mexico people who are a percentage of Native American are called Mestizo. But we’re all Native American. We all have basically the same DNA.

By the way, did you know that you were part Native American before the test told you?

[Cindy]

Cindy, you have to consider the possibility that native genes in general could be more dominant and therefore would show up in your results in a disproportionate percentage to your genealogical make up.

Just some thought. If somebody else disagrees with my opinion, please correct me.

Victor.

Victor,
I agree with your idea that the native genes might be more dominant. I do have far more physical characteristics from my Native American grandparents than my European ancestors. By the way, since I last posted my message nearly 2 years ago, I took the DNA Print test a second time and it revealed 59 percent Native American. This confused me even more. But I went on to find out that my mtDNA is Native American and so is my dad’s. And all of my ancestors were not from Europe like they had claimed. I found their records and they prove that they were born on the American continent. They have been here since over two hundred years ago and probably way beyond that. I also found photographs and I can see that my grandparents are Native American. I guess there was so much prejudice at one time that they lied about their ancestry to protect themselves and their children. It’s true what people say, DNA doesn’t lie.
Cindy

[Victor]

Victor,
I agree with your idea that the native genes might be more dominant. I do have far more physical characteristics from my Native American grandparents than my European ancestors. By the way, since I last posted my message nearly 2 years ago, I took the DNA Print test a second time and it revealed 59 percent Native American. This confused me even more. But I went on to find out that my mtDNA is Native American and so is my dad’s. And all of my ancestors were not from Europe like they had claimed. I found their records and they prove that they were born on the American continent. They have been here since over two hundred years ago and probably way beyond that. I also found photographs and I can see that my grandparents are Native American. I guess there was so much prejudice at one time that they lied about their ancestry to protect themselves and their children. It’s true what people say, DNA doesn’t lie.
Cindy

I too had my mtDNA tested and it came as "A", confirming what I already knew from my genealogical search.

For people with Mexican ancestry, native mtDNA is more the rule rather than the exception. But you're right about the prejudice that has prevailed, at least until recently, that tends to disguise things. Genetic studies have shown that the same is true for practically all countries in Latin America, including Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, where it has long been claimed that they are the most "European" Latin American countires.

Victor.

[Yolanda]

Native American and Mestizo term - DNA Print

Yolanda,
Did you mean that you took the DNAPrint? That’s the test that gives you a percentage.

To answer your question, yes, “Native American” includes the indigenous people of Mexico. The term “Native American” includes all indigenous people from the U.S., Mexico, Central America and South America. In the U.S. people who are a percentage of Native American are called Native American. In Mexico people who are a percentage of Native American are called Mestizo. But we’re all Native American. We all have basically the same DNA.

By the way, did you know that you were part Native American before the test told you?

Hello Victor- Forgot my password and then remembered it.... :
I guess my question centered around terminology being used. I am an Ethnic Studies major and I was attempting to understand the differences in terminology used when referring to Indigenous from both sides of the border.

In the world of DNA Science, the term Native American is referring to indigenous people within the context of the areas that encompass North America that they inhabit -correct?

I knew that I was Mestiza because of some parish records that I discovered while doing a Genealogical research.
Because of the area where my mother's side of the family came from in Jalisco Mexico I am thinking that our indigenous background is from one of the local tribes called the "Chichimeca". That is the tribe that I am somewhat familiar with. However on my father's side who come from Chihuahua Mexico, I found many parish records listing the baptism of Apache Indians. The priests when using descriptions of the children that they baptised called the native people either "Indio Apache" or just "Apache". The Apache tribes from what I understand lived in areas that include New Mexico, Chihuahua and Texas. I haven't come across family members that say "Apache" yet but you never know.

My DNA Print Test results were as follows:
Native American 52%
European 43%
Sub-Saharan African 5%

My brother's DNA test showed that he is Haplogroup R1b. I was attempting to locate some suspected Sephardic ancestry and found out that we have a lot of Celtic ancestry.

I also found an ancestor in 1744 in Mexico who was described as a "mullato libre". That being the case I thought my Sub-Saharan African estimate would be much higher.
Thanks for helping to clarify terminology for me - I'm just trying to understand from all perspectives so I get it right!
Yolanda

[Victor]

Native American ancestry

Hello Yolanda,

I too have old roots in the Jalisco/Zacatecas area. I haven't studied much the indigenous diversity of that region, but so far what I know is that the two main indigenous tribes in that region are the Cora and the Huichol.

Are you part of the Jalisco-Zacatecas-Aguascalientes Ranchos genealogy group? And are you (or your brother) a participant of the Genealogy of Mexico DNA Surname Project?

Victor

[Yolanda]

Native American & Mestizo - Ranchos group

Hello Victor -
No I am not part of that Genealogy group but I have been conducting Genealogical research for the past 7 years in the areas of Jalisco, Zacatecas, Chihuahua and now Guanajuato.
I am part of the Mexico Surname Project that is headed up by Gary Felix.
I've traced my roots in Jalisco back to 1650 -- so far. I have hit a wall in Chihuahua at 1755 with all branches of my family tree on my father's side.
If you know of any Genealogy groups that do exclusvie research in and around the areas of Chihuahua Mexico, please send me an email:
[email protected].

Thanks for the information. The intricacies of DNA research is so interesting to me. My Ethnic Studies, the DNA research and my own Genealogical research is certainly helping me to understand the complete picture.
Yolanda