Exploring the Genetics and Ancestry Connection: Descendants of Cherokee and White Ancestors
How can you determine the percentages of Cherokee and white DNA in your ancestry when one great-grandparent is half Cherokee and half white, and the other is African American? This intricate family history raises complex questions and requires a thorough understanding of genetic inheritance and tribal affiliations.
Understanding the Ancestral Connections
The family structure you have described – one great-grandparent who is half Cherokee and half white, and the other who is African American – leads to a complex genetic inheritance pattern. The question 'What are the percentages of Cherokee and white in my DNA?' is not easily answered due to the multiplicity of ancestral lines and the potential for significant genetic diversity.
Genetic Inheritance
Lets break it down step-by-step using a simplified model. Your great-great-grandparent who is 100% Cherokee and the other who is 100% Caucasian would mean their child, your great-grandmother, would be 1/2 Cherokee and 1/2 Caucasian. When this great-grandmother marries a 100% Negro man, their child (your grandparent) would be 1/4 Cherokee, 1/4 Caucasian, and 1/2 Negro. Following this pattern, your parent would be 1/8 Cherokee, 1/8 Caucasian, and 1/4 Negro, with the remaining 15/16 of their DNA coming from the other parent.
The next generation, you, would receive 1/16 Cherokee and 1/16 Caucasian from the great-grandparents, and 1/8 Negro from the grandparent. The rest of your DNA would come from another parent or ancestor.
Modern Era Implications
In the modern era, it is quite likely that someone with a great-grandmother who was half Cherokee by blood would have connections to the Qualla Boundary in North Carolina or the eastern Oklahoma Cherokee communities. These are the only places where a half-blood could have emerged since the late 1830s when the tribe faced Removal.
For an individual with this specific ancestry, their great-grandparent would either have tribal affiliation or come from families that maintained this affiliation. This affiliation would be evident in official records, making it easy to trace the lineage. Generally, modern descendants would have common patterns of enrollment status, such as a grandparent at 1/4 degree, a parent at 1/8 degree, and the modern descendant still being enrollable in either Cherokee Nation or Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Understanding Enrollment and Affiliation
It is important to note that many individuals with claims of half or full blood Cherokee ancestry might be descendants of fraudulent family lore. The term Bogus Family Lore refers to stories that circulate within families claiming significant Native American heritage, which is often not rooted in factual evidence. These claims, particularly those involving maternal lines, are usually incorrect but deeply ingrained within family history.
Actual descendants of a half-blood great-grandparent would be very rare. There are likely only a few thousand individuals who fit this description and do not have tribal enrollment status for various reasons. On the other hand, there are millions of Americans with false claims of Cherokee blood, leading to a misconception that they have significant Native American heritage.
Conclusion
In summary, to determine the exact percentages of Cherokee and white DNA in your family, it is essential to consider the historical and genetic contexts. Additionally, understanding the enrollment and affiliation processes can provide clarity on whether your family has a legitimate claim to Cherokee ancestry. If you suspect your family has this heritage, consulting official tribal records and documentation can help confirm your ancestral lineage.