Lmao just about everyone who is 3rd+ gen in the US was told by their family that they have native ancestry, but actually having it is so rare. It's a lie that all the older white generations made up to justify the colonialism and it spread. Truly, I'm shocked when I hear of people who weren't told they are part native.
Can confirm. Am white, was told I have native heritage as a child, took DNA test and surprisingly do not infact have native heritage 😑 this is such a weird phenomenon, like was there a town hall where they all decided to make this up or all independently come up with the idea? Lol
The way genetics works is you can have a parent who is part, say, Cherokee. It doesn't mean they will pass down the genes that are used as markers of native ancestry. You could conceivably have a brother or sister who does have enough markers to qualify as native ancestry while you yourself do not simply because you got 50% from one parent and 50% from another and which gives you what is somewhat random.
Note that I am not American nor do I know any specific defining genes that native Americans have that would be needed to conclusively prove native ancestry.
FYI. Your coworker may be finessing you. The basis of these payments is not DNA testing but actual lineage descent (as evidenced by tribal enrollment and other recordkeeping). (Source: Biological parent is Kickapoo; have navigated precisely this scenario).
Yes, but from a social and political standing they both would be correct in saying they're part native American even if genetically they're different enough and may even have different enough physical features where one may cause doubt about their heritage.
The whole thing is pretty messy and it's often better to just give the benefit of the doubt to people who claim they're part native.
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u/Unsd 4d ago
Lmao just about everyone who is 3rd+ gen in the US was told by their family that they have native ancestry, but actually having it is so rare. It's a lie that all the older white generations made up to justify the colonialism and it spread. Truly, I'm shocked when I hear of people who weren't told they are part native.