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It was discussed in another thread why some white-looking people are drawn to NA culture and want the ancestry. That this occurs because of a feeling of closeness to the land is a great idea; my theory always was that some people feel having NA ancestry is romantic and somehow, powerful.
I was told (by my family, my mother specifically), however, that my great-grandmother was Choctaw, and there is a "Rainwater" on my dad's side, in an old family Bible. However, my DNA results have zero mention of this:
98.9% European
Northern European
35.1% British & Irish
3.1% French & German
0.2% Scandinavian
0.1% Finnish
51.2% Nonspecific Northern European
9.2% Nonspecific European
0.5% South Asian
0.2% Sub-Saharan African
0.1% West African
0.1% Nonspecific Sub-Saharan African
0.4% Unassigned
100% My Name
It seems, essentially, I paid $100 to find out I'm a white girl. I guess the NA looks I thought I had, and that my cousins definitely have, are more a reflection of maybe Black Irish, or something.
Someone told me, however, that it may be that the results don't show any NA ancestry because the data on that is very scarce.
The Scandinavian and Finnish were a surprise. But how long ago was that? I'm just really not sure how to interpret all this data.
Interestingly, I've been contacted by a score of third and fourth cousins, one branch of which is African American. We have no idea about my dad's side of the family: his father and his brother, my dad's uncle, were literally "left at the doorstep" of some family after all my paternal family were killed by a flood on or near the Mississippi River. This family treated these two boys like slaves, nearly working them to death, and both of left home as soon as they were old enough to get out on their own. Very rough life back then.
I would be proud to be African-American, if that is the case. None of us have any of those characteristics, however, and I'm thinking it's in-laws, but the data is so complicated and I really don't understand it and haven't got the time to figure it out. After all, Beethoven was 1/8 black, his grandfather from Northern Africa; and the composer had curly, black hair, brown eyes and a large, flat nose. Octoroon, I think is what they called it.
You wished to be Native American and you state you would be "proud to be African-American" but the tone of your post sounds like you are disappointed to just be a "white girl".
Love your results, they show what everyone elses results are. Mixed, mutts, cross breeds. Our ancestors loved to shag and they weren't near as racist or xenophobic as we're lead to believe.
It's too bad you can't be proud of your actual heritage. But that's probably racist.
You wished to be Native American and you state you would be "proud to be African-American" but the tone of your post sounds like you are disappointed to just be a "white girl".
Love your results, they show what everyone elses results are. Mixed, mutts, cross breeds. Our ancestors loved to shag and they weren't near as racist or xenophobic as we're lead to believe.
It's too bad you can't be proud of your actual heritage. But that's probably racist.
Did I say I wished to be NA? I don't think I said that. How can you tell, from one post, that I'm not proud of who I actually am? (My remark about being a "white girl" was a joke; it wasn't meant to denigrate being white, for heaven's sake.)
What I do like is the verifiable truth, whatever it may be; the ethnicity on my father's side is a mystery, but he looked like (and acted like) an Englishman. It would have been nice if you'd addressed that, rather than criticize me.
Did I say I wished to be NA? I don't think I said that. How can you tell, from one post, that I'm not proud of who I actually am? (My remark about being a "white girl" was a joke; it wasn't meant to denigrate being white, for heaven's sake.)
What I do like is the verifiable truth, whatever it may be; the ethnicity on my father's side is a mystery, but he looked like (and acted like) an Englishman. It would have been nice if you'd addressed that, rather than criticize me.
Well you started your post off talking about how many people romanticize NA cultures and then you mention that your family mentioned that they have NA ancestry.
I was making a best guess inference based on your single post. Since I don't know you, I can only make guesses based on what you have written in your post.
I certainly was not criticizing you; just making a statement that based on your post you seemed disappointed in being white. That's not a criticism. It’s just an interpretation of your words.
My apologies if you felt criticized. Good luck for your search through your genealogy.
Thank you for being so gracious. Personally, I really want the truth, wherever it leads, and even if it contradicts my most cherished beliefs, fantasies, or what people in my family told me. Respect for the truth is high on my list, I can tell you that.
you got to remember the y chrom is tested on the male side, dad- grandfather- great grandfather. The x chrom is on the mother side, grandmother, great grandmother. so all those in the middle are lost
your dad's mother, even thought you got dna from her, she goes untested
your mother's grand dad, same way
also on the scan and fin, they invaded britland with the norman and anglo saxon. so you fin could be through great britland in the early 1200
you got to remember the y chrom is tested on the male side, dad- grandfather- great grandfather. The x chrom is on the mother side, grandmother, great grandmother. so all those in the middle are lost
your dad's mother, even thought you got dna from her, she goes untested
your mother's grand dad, same way
also on the scan and fin, they invaded britland with the norman and anglo saxon. so you fin could be through great britland in the early 1200
There's so much I don't understand; I'm really at the novice level, if that.
A couple of more questions, if I may? I did pass a statistics course, but it was a long, long time ago:
(1) The smaller the percentage, the longer ago it was?
(2) Is there any way to distinguish between maternal and paternal data?
Actually, brownbag answered the second question (I think);
>> you got to remember the y chrom is tested on the male side, dad- grandfather- great grandfather. The x chrom is on the mother side, grandmother, great grandmother. so all those in the middle are lost
Did I say I wished to be NA? I don't think I said that. How can you tell, from one post, that I'm not proud of who I actually am? (My remark about being a "white girl" was a joke; it wasn't meant to denigrate being white, for heaven's sake.)
Keep in mind that "tone" can be difficult to determine over the internet. Perhaps when you make joke, you should consider making some indication of it - a smilie face, an "lol", etc. Just a thought.
I just posted in your thread on 23andme lol. There is no way to distinguish between what you got from your mom or dad other then having one of them test. Also, yes, the smaller the percent the longer ago it was. Your Sub-Saharan would indicate an ancestor probably between 7-8 generations ago.
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