Anyone familiar with DNA Tribes?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

I went there and got a DNA packet for my husband, whose elusive and census-shy ancestors have driven me nuts doing research. Anyway, he had always been told he was at least 1/8 Cherokee. The DNA profile came back with 0% Native American DNA. He's shocked but ok with it, but his brother is hopping mad. So my question is this: Wouldn't the DNA profile for brothers be basically the same? Isn't this a reputable company? I need some backup for a brother in law who is on the warpath (excuse the pun).

[dalaigh lllama]

1. I would think if the brothers have the same parents

then their DNA genetic profile should match. I also wonder how they can tell whether or not someone has DNA from a certain tribe, unless they've got samples of all the DNA profiles from that tribe. I mean, it seems to me it would be more correct for them to say that your husband's DNA did not match any of their known samples, rather than categorically say 0% match. I'm no scientist, so my opinion isn't worth much -- just going on what I've read on DNA sampling.

If he's always thought he was 1/8 Cherokee, then I'm guessing he had one great-grandparent who was Cherokee. No clues there?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I think you are right on the percentiles--

and no, he didn't match known samples. The reason there is no clue on the great-grandparent is that his grandmother was orphaned at a very early age. By the time I came on the scene, both her and my husband's mother were deceased, so the only information I have comes from written records. The grandmother's death certificate lists her state of birth as Arkansas, and that her father's name was Joe Smith. No name for her mother was given. The 1930 census (the only one on which I can find her) also lists her state of birth as AR--and says her parents were born in the USA. I have her date of marriage from her husband's obituary, but when I wrote for it, found it was not there. I've checked every Joe Smith in Arkansas in 1900, the year of her birth--but she was born late in the year, after the census was made.

I'm going to start over from square one about this and see once again if I can find anything.

I did just re-check the profile. Cherokee was NOT one of the Native American groups listed. So I'm taking your interpretation on this. He could be Cherokee, but the test doesn't measure his DNA against any known Cherokee groups.

[dalaigh lllama]

3. You might try looking for marriage records in neighboring states

if they lived near the Arkansas border. My grandmother was born in Arkansas, lived in Missouri after her marriage, but for some unexplained reason got married in Cairo, Illinois. (I'm sure there's a story there but no one's left to ask.)

Joe Smith -- that's gotta be a tough one to narrow down! (I'm so grateful for my odd family names!) Especially since you have to take into consideration that he might have gone by Joe but maybe his legal name might have been something else. Eg., I have a grandfather John Thomas Nease who signed some documents John Nease and some Thomas Nease.

[Mr. McD]

4. Autosomal DNA is not vey reliable for genealogy

As each person inherits a unique combination from the parents, your test could you 15% Native American where your sibling might test and show 21%, or none at all. Autosomal markers recombine differently with every conception.

DNA does not recognize nationalities and tribes, per se. These are man-made terms. Scientists declare autosomal testing an “an infant science.” They feel the database which determines to what “tribe” someone belongs is too small. Tens of thousands of testers are needed to make genetic determinations. As the work on this continues, someday they may be able to correctly categorize with more accuracy, but given the lack of stable reliability of autosomal markers over time, there is concern that may not happen.

http://genealem-geneticgenealogy.blogspot.com/2008/10/autosomal-dna-atdna.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Thank you

I think you are right on this. So its back to the censuses and finding out where orphanages were located in Arkansas in 1900.

[CountAllVotes]

6. I'm sure that old grandma from Arkansas

was Cherokee.

I have the same exact thing - an old grandma from Arkansas born in 1834 who stated twice that her parents were "born in the United States of America". It was not until the final census in which she appears (1920) that she stated that her parents were from Georgia.

There are very few Cherokee out there left with even 1/4 blood quantum today.

I wouldn't rely on these DNA results for a second as I believe your word of mouth history is more reliable.

:hi: Osiyo, and Welcome to the club of those that they thought were all gone! :D