I have read most of what you referred me and am nonetheless very confused. I find it overwhelming. Tks and regards Dusty -----Original Message----- From: Research and writing about Virginia genealogy and family history. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of [log in to unmask] Sent: Wednesday, July 10, 2013 4:43 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: DNA testing for Native American heritage (was: re: Cnythia McDaniel) Dusty: This question of DNA testing for Native American ancestry is too complex a subject to discuss in depth on the VA-ROOTS list. It is better to be addressing it on the RootsWeb Autosomal DNA list and reading the list archives: <http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/DNA/AUTOSOMAL-DNA.html> For video animations that visually explain the differences among the various kinds of DNA testing, see <http://www.smgf.org/pages/animations.jspx>. You will get a lot of valuable information by reading the DNA bloggers whom I have mentioned previously, especially Roberta Estes's _DNA eXplained_, past and present blogs: <http://dna-explained.com>. She is an expert on Native American DNA. If your mother and any of her and your father's siblings are still living, you may need to test some or all of them for autosomal (multi-line), in addition to yourself. You may need to test yourself and other family members with more than one company to resolve the ethnicity questions and to determine the routes the potential Native American heritage takes in your ancestry through mixed male and female lines. If you do autosomal testing with companies such as 23andMe.com and AncestryDNA.com, you need to consider transferring that information to FamilyTreeDNA.com (for a fee) and to GEDmatch.com (free) for additional tools and matches, as we discussed previously. You have identified an 87-year-old cousin who is descended in the direct male line from a common male ancestor in your late father's direct male line. It is important to test his yDNA through FamilyTreeDNA.com (FTDNA) at least at the 37 marker level for genealogically relevant information. Anything less than 37 markers is anthropological information only. This test could potentially include Native American ancestry, but in the direct male line only. He can remain anonymous while you manage his account and handle correspondence from his matches. It is important for you to be named a _beneficiary_ of his information with FTDNA. FTDNA keeps the cheek scraping specimen for 25 years, which is important for future upgrades of the yDNA test and possibly an autosomal test. We don't know what new tests will be available in the future. --Ida Skarson McCormick, [log in to unmask], Seattle Member of the Seattle Genealogical Society's DNA Interest Group --------------- Dusty Smith Erickson wrote 7-9-13 to Cynthia McDaniel via VA-ROOTS: <snip> I have found a male descendent and now struggle with who to use to get his DNA checked for ETHNIC background. My genelogical Smith connections could come later - as we have been struggling to prove American Indian Ancestry for about 50 yrs. My "Indian" heritage has been searched and searched but we really only have family record and verbal accounts. . . . <snip> To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-roots.html