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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2005-01 > 1106193767


From:
Subject: Re: [DNA] Value of the mtDNA Test
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2005 23:02:47 EST


In a message dated 1/19/2005 8:57:03 PM Central Standard Time,
writes:

> My great-grandmother was born in Western NC in 1869. I have talked with
> older relatives who knew her, including her youngest daughter, and they say
> without hesitation that her mother was Native American.
>
> Would a mtDNA test on her one surviving grand-daughter do anything at all to
> verify that my late mother was a direct line female descendant of a Native
> American woman? It is accepted as a given within the family but we have not
> yet been able to identify either of my great-grandmother's parents.
>
> I am only trying to validate the family belief.
>
>

First the grand-daughter must a daughter's daughter, not a son's daughter.
If she isn't mtDNA on her will not be the lineage you want. If she isn't is
there a great granddaughter or greatgrandson who has only females between
him/herself and your great-grandmother? Grandsons & greatgrandsons can donate mtDNA
if their mother is in an all female line from the Great-grandmother.

Then you must have a docuemented relationship between the person tested, the
greatgrandmother and yourself. Sounds to me as if you do, so this shouldn't
be a problem.

Now the big "hump" is that your great-grandmother could have been Native
American from both her mother and father's lineages, or only one. And then she
could have been Native American on only part of those two lineages. In short,
ONLY if she is Native American from her mother's mother will it show up on the
test. mtDNA will test the (a)/(b)/(c) lineage only.

(c) Mother's Mother Mother's Father Father's Mother
Father's Father
(b) Mother Father
(a) Great Grandmother
Daughter(s)
Daughter(s)
Sons and Daughters of the daughter(s)

If your great grandmother's mother's father and her fathers parents were all
Native American, but the line you test was NOT, then you won't find Native
American in the mtDNA you propose testing. However, you MIGHT be able to
verify Native American ancestry from other "input lineages" by testing other
descendants, say your great grandmother's aunt on her father's side would carry the
father's mother's DNA -- if you can locate an all female lineage from her, you
could get that mtDNA. And so on.

Anne
Administrator WEBB & MAYNOR DNA Projects
Co-Administrator HUDSON/HUTSON DNA
"If you want to rest in peace, donate your DNA now!"
-- R Hutchinson 3 January 2005

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