| You might think about Native tribes after | | | | unable to detect constitutional American ancestry. |
| watching the movie "Pocahontas". Basically, there | | | | That happens when your maternal lineage (for |
| were several tribes that inhabited in United States | | | | example, your mother's mother) does not belong |
| of America. They have given tribal money and | | | | to that inborn population even though all of your |
| support from U.S. federal government since their | | | | grandparents were Native American. |
| rights is ultimately a political or cultural issue. If you | | | | These type of testing has caused |
| think that you have blood relation with these | | | | misinterpretation among public. When someone |
| tribes, consider yourself to perform an ancestral | | | | had his DNA tested and found that his DNA |
| search test. Many DNA testing companies suggest | | | | contained common inborn American genetic |
| that test results can also be used to qualify for | | | | markers, it is not necessary means that he is a |
| ethnicity-specific scholarships and race-based | | | | native of a tribe. Based on the test results, a |
| college admissions. | | | | person is recognized as a native of a tribe in U.S. |
| How does Native American DNA testing actually | | | | when he has high frequencies of genetic markers |
| works? | | | | which is common in this particular populations. |
| In beginning, DNA sampling is performed by taking | | | | Developing genetic markers are needed in order |
| only a small proportion of the test taker's DNA. | | | | to prevent "false positives" results as common |
| These test can be performed into two categories | | | | genetic markers can be found in non-inborn |
| - mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tests and | | | | American populations. |
| Y-chromosome tests. MtDNA tests are able to | | | | In conclusion, this particular DNA tests do not |
| track maternal lineage - which DNA is inherited | | | | provide an exact answers to questions of such |
| only from one's mother. | | | | inborn American ancestry. However, these DNA |
| Y-chromosome tests examine DNA that is | | | | testing results are accurate and informative. |
| passed down from grandfather to father to son - | | | | There are still cases that this particular DNA |
| which elucidates the paternal lineage of the test | | | | testing fail to detect such ancestry in individuals |
| taker. In fact that, these tests examine less than | | | | with inborn American ancestors, and they usually |
| 1% of the test taker's DNA, and focus on either | | | | unjustifiably misidentified. The appropriate use of |
| maternal or paternal ancestor. | | | | such tests must be reviewed for better |
| There is also possibility that mtDNA test are | | | | identification. |