DNA can set you free!

Discovering our roots beyond slavery

It was some years back that I sent my buccle swab (cheek scrapping) to Familytreedna.com for them to process.  My journey to discover my "deep ancestral" roots was beginning.  Like many of us I had always been curious if the stories my family told about our racial make-up was true.

I could see with my eyes that clearly we were "mixed" as all Americans of African descent are, but no one could tell me exactly what that mix was.  There was conjecture that it was American Indian.  Black people in this country have always believed that they were mixed with American Indian when in fact it isn't true at all.   When I got the results of the DNA tests my reaction was very strange indeed.  Instead of being elated, I felt I was just handed a bomb shell...

The results clearly said: NO Native American admixture.  My mother had always sworn by her ancestry of Cherokee blood.  But no more, that myth was suddenly shattered by the scientific proof that it wasn't anywhere near Cherokee blood, but oceans away to the continent.

The results were as follows 60% African (meaning anywhere in Africa on the continent) and 39% Indo-European (meaning anywhere from Turkey to Persia to India).  I was really shocked with the results and wasn't sure if I should share them with my mother.  I was afraid it would shake her up to no end.  With results in hand I quickly emailed my relatives and siblings with the results.  At first there was this flurry of activity; taking all the minute parts of the DNA test, and using Cambridge DNA data base, we sought to put a face on our ancestry.  A face that had been denied us. 

It is called deep ancestry because these test do not really reveal recent (500 years) ancestry, instead, they show the original migration patterns in, and out of Africa at it's origins.  Geneticist have basically broken the entire world into what's call Haplotype Groups. Mine happens to be L3b, which is a migratory path in East Africa.  So my deepest ancestral root was a "woman" who resided in Yemen.   I will get back to that bit later.

Women carry what's called MTdna (mitochondrial DNA).  Men have Y chromosomes.  If a woman is tested (such as me) they can only detect the maternal line of ancestors from both father and mother.  No males.  In order to get the deep ancestral origins of the male lineage they would have to test the males in my family.  So far none of them want to do it.

So not satisfied with a percentage breakdown, and a haplotype group I decided to send my DNA results to a group in London that maintains a database of DNA results from all over the world.  What they did was compare my results with other by using a computer, and were able to find "matches", meaning basically "cousins" from other places in the world. 

What I found out was amazing.  I am genetically, through the maternal lines of my mother and father, North African.  The people sharing my DNA pattern are Moroccans, Yemeni's and people from Bedouin and nomadic tribes along the Niger.   Who would have known? And this is a far cry from the Native American blood we thought we had.  This now gives me more information on who these people were that I share a blood line, and DNA with.  Who these women were.  Was one of them sold as a child because her mother died, or perhaps she ran away and was caught by slavers?  I know that Islam was already solidly in this part of Africa so my ancestors were probably muslim.  It doesn't really matter in the long run.  It just gives me a larger picture.  It fleshes out what was a skeleton of information.  Now when I decide what I will wear, or eat, or study or do I consider my ancestors and how they would have done it, and not only that somehow I find that I always have maintained something of them through genetic memory. 

Comments

[Supa Sister]

Great, relevant post! I did the other dna test by Dr. Kittles, at africanancestry.com

My results solidified a long family belief that our ancestors (matrilineal line) came from the East - Egpyt/Ethiopia/Sudan.

I plan on doing another test w/a different company to compare the results.

What a wonderful tool, don't you think? It just gives us (as blacks in America) a greater framework in which to think of ourselves, our past, future. As an individual, it can be one of the many steps one takes toward self.

Thanks for sharing.

[emergingpheonix]

Nice post, you have made me want to try and track my roots. I was always skeptical, b/c I felt they didnt have or do enough research on people who were brought to the west as slaves to know. I actually saw the africanancestry.com link a few days ago, and thought I would check it out when I got the time. But your post (and subsequent response) has really sealed the deal for me.

I also wanted to correct something you said in your post. Males and females both carry mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA), however it is passed to us ONLY by our mothers. That is why they can only trace your MATERNAL lines, with your DNA. Therefore any paternal lineages have to be traced through the Y chromosome that ONLY men carry and get from ONLY their FATHER. What you said may have been confusing to some people not in the science world. I dont know if this is what you meant to say, but what you said can be misinterpreted. I hope my explanation wasnt too complicated for most, but I tried to make it as simplistic as I could, without being too wordy.

Very Thoughtful Post!! Ditto - Thanks for sharing!!

[satisfiedsistah]

Yes, thanks we all have mitochondria! Of course we do. I guess in my attempt to dilute and get it all in a small blog I took the wrong short cut. Thanks for pointing this out.

As for the mitochondria it is in all cells in the body. It has it's own DNA which is passed on only through females. For DNA testing purposes male lineage is traced via the Y chromosome, not via mtDNA.
Whew, hope that's better, I almost strained my brain.

[Don't Push Me]

This is very interesting. It really makes me think, "What happened and where?"

I think I will explore this for myself.

[emergingpheonix]

satisfiedsistah...I hope you don't think I was being sarcastic. I didnt mean any malice in my post. If I have mistaken the tone of your response then disregard this. Otherwise, I only pointed it out, b/c it is important to make things clear to the general population. I am very well versed in the sciences. It's what I studied, it's what I do for a living. But I am also aware that not everyone is knowledgeable about these things. So I just wanted to make sure everyone has a good understanding of the science behind your post. I really did appreciate your post, and I really thought it was interesting. Again, if I have incorrectly taken the tone of your response to be indignation, please disregard this.

[satisfiedsistah]

Oh no, there is no indignation. I was sincere in thanking you for pointing out my mistake. Please continue to read and critique, this is how I grow. I like your writing and the way you express. It keeps me sharp. Have a good Friday the 13th!

[OK ONYX]

uh-oh girl fight....

where is luda when you need him.

Seriously, I enjoyed the post as well. I especially liked reading two intelligent sistas reviewing micro-biology.
It sure beats the great mystery, "who is cuter usher or omarion?"

[satisfiedsistah]

Onyx you are funny.

I think Omarion is cuter, but he picked a poor choice in dance partners. What was it the BET awards. Who was that girl popping her booty across the dance floor? Ugh. Nastee.

Oh well, that wasn't about DNA, or was it?
Happy three day weekend

[Free]

Thank you, thank you! LOVE the info. (Still a little scared of what I'll find!) Now I have NO excuse when I do get ready to dig around :-)

[Ursula's Kid]

Satisfied.....

Can ya hook a sistah up!! My siblings and I are doing the same FamilyDNA thing and we would like to send our results to the same place in London that you did. But where is it??????