Is there a way to tell if I have Mi'kmaq ancestry?

Question

I am not sure which category to post this in. Basically, I have Newfoundland ancestry and I have seen little hints and rumours that one or more of my ancestors (on the female side, I think) may have been Mi'kmaq. I'm really curious. And I want to be clear, that's ALL it is, as I have been accused (in a Facebook group) of wanting some sort of government benefit from potential Mi'kmaq ancestry. I don't even know what that's about, and I don't care. I just want to know if any of my ancestors were Mi'kmaq.

Anyway, I've had my DNA tested in a few different places: Ancestry, 23andMe, and then I transferred my results to FTDNA. I've had my Dad, brother, mother, maternal grandmother, and a third cousin tested as well. My Dad's line is the one that might have Mi'kmaq ancestry. However, none of the tests have said I have any Native American DNA. But do they test for Mi'kmaq? Or do they just test for tribes common south of the border?

I would appreciate any insight into this. Thanks!

Comments

I am a genealogist...and I find all the answers screaming use my site disgusting. There is a Canadian blood test. My Gramps was full Mi"kmaq. Other three Quite literally off the boat, which I have papers for each of them Irish. I have found many mistakes on ancestry.com. So I do suggest a blood test before you do the genealogy or at the same time, but don't. Take the bait with this. Company, they are not the only one. The reason I became a genealogist is because they were dead wrong.

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It is hard to find documentation as many intermarriages took place between early settlers and the Mi'gmaq people. Before 1985 the Indian Act stated that an Indigenous woman who marries a non-native would lose her status. Also, in the early years of colonization, children baptized into the church were given Christian names and many families hid the fact that they had Native family members. 

There is a test with the Haplogroup C3b that is Native American. 

Here are a few good resources for reading on the the topic on DNA testing for First Nations Peoples of North America.

Germain Doucet and Haplogroup C3b DNA testing

Y-DNA haplogroups in indigenous people.

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Where can we find "common Mikmaq names?  My family is from Nova Scotia and Portugual.

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I have several names in my tree-Savoie, LeBlanc, Cote, Dyer-and there are probably more. The Savoie's have over 300 people alone. I am just not sure why my DNA did not show this on the ancestry DNA test. Is there a better test I should get? I know for a fact through documentation that my tree is correct. Maybe it's just not in my DNA at this point? I am thinking of testing my father, to get closer DNA. Really wish I could my grandpa because that would be the best.

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Hello Lisa. I have these exact same names in my family tree. Jean Savoie was my 6th generation grandparent. I was wondering if you had found out any information on how to determine yet, as I am still looking.

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Yes, I did find one direct connection. Landry. Jean was also my great too. If you would like you can email me at SLPlisabanet@yahoo so i can help you get the tree from him to the Landry. As far as the Savoie themselves I still am not sure how many more married into Mi'kmaq, and not sure how long this will remain a mystery-but either way we did have another connection to them through a Savoie marriage.

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Tanya, Have you any success in your endeavors to trace your roots?

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Not the Newfoundland ancestry so much. Maybe a little since I wrote this, but I still don't know if I have Mi'kmaq ancestry.

I'm confused by some of the comments because sometimes I'm not sure which are directed at my OP and which are directed at someone in the comments who asked a question of their own. Like I don't know which blood test people are referring to. And should I get my brother's Y-DNA done? I never did that and my Dad is gone now.

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Try

https://www.benoitfirstnation.ca/bfn_mikmaq_history.html#:~:text=The%20main%20Mi'kmaq%20family,%2C%20Jesso%2C%20Young%20and%20Marche.

Gabriel is Micmaq as I have a prish record showing one familymemeber to be "Savage" at time of marriage

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Your family tree is a great place to start if you have one most all Mi’kmaq families (like mine) were on the western side of Newfoundland look for places like “flat bay” “sandy point” “Saint George “ “stephensville “ if you have any ancestors that relate to those locations it would be a great help … feel free to message me if you find any ancestors you think might qualify from the areas I mentioned and I might be able to shed some light on the subject

Answer 1

https://familysearch.org/wiki/en/Micmac_Indians

White Wolf : DNA Analysis Shows That Native American Genealogy Is ...

www.whitewolfpack.com/2014/08/dna-analysis-shows-that-native-american.html

​Native Americans Descended From A Single Ancestral Group, DNA Study ...... not north americanIndian,I am not a Canadian,I consider myself to be Mi'Kmaq ...

DNA of indigenous peoples of the Americas (native Amerindians ...

www.khazaria.com/genetics/indigenous-americans.html

Native American tribes such as Mi'kmaq, Ojibwe, Cherokee, Cree, Choctaw, Sioux, ... Indigenous Amerindian Y-DNA haplogroups (inherited in the paternal line) ...

 

Answer 2

Here is a woman who is M'kmaq

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Unknown-182545

Click on the MitoSearch ID of her mtDNA tested direct maternal line descendant to see her mtDNA results.

Comments

Thank you but I don't think it would tell me anything I want to know, as mine would be on my paternal side. Specifically, I have an ancestor that was a Stickland/Strickland. I've heard that she may have been descended from Mi'kmaq ancestors.

Answer 3

Hi, there is a Mi'kmaq dna project on family tree dna, not sure how they work but worth a read https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/chegau-mikmaq/about

Also if you haven't already it's worth uploading your DNA test results to gedmatch so all interested historians can see them and use the tools there.

Now to see if you and i match on DNA :) as i have Nova Scotia ancestry.

Comments

Thank you! That link is great and I definitely plan on writing to that person.

So do we match on DNA? I'm  already on gedmatch! One of my nunbers is M181356. I think. I'm going off the top,of my head.

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Nope unfortunately not, but always worth a comparison with other people on here just in case

Answer 4

Roberta Estes has a relevant blog post here:  http://dna-explained.com/2015/03/31/finding-your-american-indian-tribe-using-dna/

Something that I would recommend in addition to testing autosomal DNA of various family members is to test the mtDNA for the matrilines that are in question.  For those matrilines involving Newfoundland, there is a mtDNA project that can be joined:  https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/nfld-lab-mt-dna/about

Comments

Thank you for the link. Unfortunately, I don't think I know anyone in the matrilineal line. :(

Answer 5

One way would be to do DNA testing and look at your matches that have Native American Ancestry. One halogroup that is so far just Mi'kmaq is A2f1a. So if you cousin has this in their tree it would be easier to figure your mutual relationship.

Answer 6

I'd counsel a combination of DNA testing, careful family tree work, and a very healthy scepticism of family history.

My experience is that a lot more people claim Native American ancestry than actually have it. I have two ancestors, one in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland, who I was told, definitively, were Mi'kmaq. DNA tests of my mother show her to be completely European. And this was pretty  much verified by the family tree I assembled:

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Butt-513 

My father *does* have a very small amount of Native ancestry, but the 'Native' great-grandmother also turns out to be nothing of the sort, once you start following the records.

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Weston-1210

Family history is a good place to start, but it's not very reliable. So follow the evidence.

 

Answer 7

You mentioned that the DNA from the Mick-Maq native tribe came through your Father's line.  In order for you to view this line specifically you will need to have a Brother' "Y" chromosome DNA done.  Females will not have Y DNA  only "X" and the maternal Mitochondrial DNA.  This is the way I have had my Father's line shown to me.

Regards,

Julie

Comments

In addition to the above information, results from DNA studies on this Mick-Maq Tribe show R1-A Haplogroups.  This particular Group R1A can be traced back to the Northern Kingdom of ancient Israel, specifically to the Tribe of Joseph of the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel who deceded from Abraham and his son Isaac whose name was changed to "Israel".  It was Israel who had the 12 Tribes of Israel which were prophesied to be scattered throughout the whole world as a consequence of their disobedience.  This leads us to the fact that this Native Tribe are Hebrews.  Many archeological finds have proven this fact.  This conclusion can then be drawn.  The conclusion is that Hebrew people's lived anciently on this land and arrived here by ship.  The civilization resided in Lower Canada, Michigan, New York and islands in the St. Lawrence Seaway.  The era of time can be documented to be 600 BC to 400 AD.  There are videos currently on "YOUtube" if you look up "Hebrew lost tribes and Nephites."  

Regards,

 

Julie Jean Castro

Answer 8

I, too, have Nova Scotia and Newfoundland ancestry beginning with my great grandparents on my maternal side. Ancestry trees shows one of my ancestors descended from the Mi'Kmaq chief, but I have not been able to prove it with records, and I actually think the line is wrong. I hope you can figure out whether you are or not. Good luck!

Answer 9

hey yall i am curious as i have used ged match to test against the mikmaq kit and i matched almost every chromosome and some are fairly high cm.

Where would i start looking to find my connection besides tracing surnames?

my ged match is fq8026450 if anyone wants to test against me or help ! thanks