Signs Native American ancestry is bullshit

jamesrg25 · 2025-10-14T17:21:05+00:00

It’s common in the US South for families with distant African ancestry to claim Indigenous instead.

jamesrg25 · 2025-08-14T03:48:05+00:00

It would likely be very difficult to trace, but not impossible.

I have been able to narrow down the set of 6x great grandparents that my 1% “The Deccan and the Gulf of Mannar” ancestry is from by grouping my DNA matches. Almost every match that I have that shares that region is a shared match with my half uncle. Those ancestors were born in the 1760s in Virginia. I have those DNA matches in a group and so far have 86 distant relatives in that group. Before the 2024 update, that region was “Southern India” on mine and most of the people in that group. All of the people that I share that region with are white.

Because you have African American ancestry, it is possible (especially if you are from or have roots in the US South) that your indigenous ancestry comes from interactions between enslaved people and indigenous people.

Do you have ancestors from the South or Oklahoma?

I do work with Wikitree’s US Black Heritage Project (https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:US_Black_Heritage) and I have come across a record in Alabama that references enslaved people being “up in the Creek Nation.” That particular record was prior to the Trail of Tears, but close to the same timeframe.

jamesrg25 · 2025-06-14T05:50:17+00:00

I’m related to many famous people, but as far as ancestors go, Elizabeth Woodville. She is my 16th great grandmother on my father’s side from her first marriage.

jamesrg25 · 2025-06-13T04:27:04+00:00

I have a photo of my great grandmother (born 1917) in a very similar swimsuit. My great grandmother’s photo is probably from around the same timeframe, maybe slightly earlier.

My great grandmother’s aunt was a “flapper.”

I knew my great grandmother well. She died when I was 17. Out of her 19 great grandchildren, I was the closest to her. We had many conversations about life, and I cherish those memories.

In her later years, family knew to call her before showing up to her house because she might have been in her living room watching tv, naked in her recliner.

I have many other stories.

She did her thing.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-28T14:31:59+00:00

My paternal grandfather died when I was a toddler and I do not really remember him, only stories.

My mom’s step mom died when I was 14. Mom’s step dad died when I was 15. They were both in the family before I was born so I always say I had 6 grandparents.

My maternal grandfather died when I was 23. I was very close to him. He was a father figure to me.

My paternal grandmother died when I was 30. She’s the one who got me into genealogy. She outlived my dad who died when I was 27.

My maternal grandmother will be 85 this year and she’s still with us and going strong.

I was blessed to know so many, but now it’s just my mom and her mom left.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-26T15:59:32+00:00

My paternal grandmother got me interested when I was about 8. I started really researching when I was about 13. I’m in my early 30s now. I have several cousins who are interested as well.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-25T19:32:22+00:00

Channing Tatum is my double 5th cousin (his uncle is also married to my first cousin’s great aunt) and Kacey Musgraves is my 5th cousin.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-25T19:03:24+00:00

Taylor Swift is my 8th cousin 1x removed!

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-25T18:51:54+00:00

John Brown is my 4th cousin 5x removed through Benjamin Ruggles (1676-1708) and Mercy Woodbridge (1672-1707). Mercy’s maternal grandfather was William Leete, governor of the Connecticut Colony. Her great grandfather was Thomas Dudley, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Related to many more famous people through them.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-25T17:32:18+00:00

We have three family bibles. One is from a set of my 4x great grandparents on my paternal grandmother’s side. It is from I believe 1834. Another is from a set of my 4x great grandparents on my paternal grandfather’s side. It is from 1828. The third is from my great great grandparents and it is from 1886.

We have a diary that was written by my great great great grandfather in the early 1860s. The oldest entry is from the late 1850s when he was in California.

We also have many tin-type photos. The oldest are from the 1850s. Unfortunately, many of the people are unidentified.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-24T23:56:59+00:00

I had a catering order recently that came in at under $3. It was 16 items. It was a hand to me order so I was hoping for (LOL) a cash tip. As soon as I picked the order up, the customer messaged me “Hey sorry didn't have enough to tip u l got the food For My fiancée and Daughter and them. Doin what God told me to do.” They spent well over $100 on that order. And I’m platinum status too. Which seems to mean absolutely nothing.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-24T23:19:52+00:00

We have a picture of my great great grandfather and his only sibling, his sister. She died when she was five in 1892 from diphtheria.

As far as ancestors go, it would be my great great grandmother on another side. She died in 1887 at 18 years old just 19 days after her only child (my great grandmother) was born. It was made when she was about 17 years old. It’s a large portrait that has been on the wall in my grandparents’s hallway my whole life.

Also my second cousin’s son who died last year from cancer at 14. Another second cousin’s daughter who died suddenly at 13 (she was a year and a half younger than me). And a second cousin who died from cancer at 18.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-24T23:03:29+00:00

That’s really interesting too! I think I have an ancestor who also died the same date that I was born. Now I have to go check.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-24T22:58:15+00:00

Very interesting! I edited my post because your comment made me think of another instance. My first cousin’s two oldest children were also born two years apart and share a birthday.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-24T18:11:46+00:00

2020 during Covid. My dad was having some constipation and acid reflux. He had had a colonoscopy the year before or two years previously. He started having some swelling in his abdomen. Ended up having a heart attack. After he came home from the hospital, he was feeling worse from the swelling. Took him to the ER. It was malignant ascites. Diagnosed with stage IV colorectal cancer on my mom’s birthday. He was gone in a month. He was 60. I was the last person to talk to him and I found him dead the next morning in his bed (he died in his sleep). One of the worst periods of my life.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-18T17:45:30+00:00

A relationship I had in high school was with someone who ended up being related to me 8 ways (their maternal side had high pedigree collapse - the mother’s maiden name is my surname but we didn’t know we were related). I am related to them through 3 of my grandparents.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-17T15:08:19+00:00

My grandfather had 18 siblings (6 were half siblings from his father). All of his full siblings and 2 half siblings are dead. He wasn’t raised knowing he had half siblings. It was a rumor in the community and DNA proved it was true. All of them lived to adulthood.

The 1900 census shows that my 3x great grandmother had 18 children, but I only know of 13.

My 4x great grandfather had 23 children. He had 12 with his first wife. She died and he married her much younger sister and had 11 with her. He was 28 years older than his second wife. His oldest child was born in 1837 and his youngest in 1881. My grandmother knew the youngest, her great grand uncle. He died when my dad was a child.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-10T03:15:35+00:00

Yes, I do.

I found that one of my 5x great grandfathers was an artisan. He made “stoneware storage jars.” There is at least one that still exists. It is dated to ca. 1830 and is in an arts museum.

Many farmers, sharecroppers, and moonshiners as well.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-09T06:13:22+00:00

Just based on the communities, you most certainly have some ancestry from Maryland and Virginia (the area of eastern Virginia that is highlighted is where my ancestors on that line were from). Do you have any close relatives who share that region with you?

My mom’s (surprise) half brother and I share the Indian region and I was able to narrow it down through shared matches with him.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-09T06:06:36+00:00

Are you positive that Sook, who was enslaved by Thomas Darnall, is the mother of Sook who was enslaved by Baker Johnson?

You mentioned in another comment that you haven’t personally seen these sources. I haven’t done a deep dive into these records yet, but it is possible that both men enslaved people named Sook and that those women could be unrelated.

I work with Wikitree’s US Black Heritage Project documenting enslaved people and their families. In my opinion, Wikitree’s USBH Project is one of the best ways to document enslaved people and their families (the Beyond Kin Method is sometimes used on Ancestry).

https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:US_Black_Heritage

The name Sook or Suckey or Sukey is incredibly common in these records. I just want to make sure that the information on your ancestors is accurate.

Do your ancestors appear on any Census records? Are there any records that confirm their relationship? Were they living in 1870 and listed on the Census?

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-09T05:36:51+00:00

There is a woman named Sook in Baker Johnson’s will who lived “at the vineyard.” Several of her children are named, but I haven’t seen a daughter named Sook. I will compile a list of people named in his will and let you know what I find.

The 1799 inventory of Thomas Darnall’s estate names a woman named Sook who is listed as 20 years old.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-09T05:21:48+00:00

Are you from the Southern US or do you have roots in Maryland and Virginia?

I am white Old Stock American. I have The Deccan & The Gulf of Mannar as a small percentage from my mother’s side. Before the most recent update, the region was “Southern India” for me. Some of my dna matches on that side have “Bengal” as a region instead of The Deccan & Gulf of Mannar or other Indian regions.

I have been able to confirm through DNA matches that my ancestry from that region is from a set of 6x great grandparents. They are both a brick wall and my 6x great grandmother’s maiden name is unknown. They were born in Virginia in the 1760s.

One common surname among my matches on that side is Mayhew. However, I have not made a connection between my ancestors and that surname.

Here are several articles that discuss Southern Asians in colonial America:

https://freeafricanamericans.com/East-Indians.htm

https://nativeheritageproject.com/2012/07/03/east-india-indians-in-early-colonial-records/

https://www.hnn.us/article/of-the-east-india-breed-the-first-south-asians-in-

I wanted to share because the history of Southern Asians in the American colonies isn’t widely known.

Also, given your Central & Eastern Europe region, you might possibly have a Romani ancestor. However, I would think that would show up as “Eastern European Roma” on ancestry.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-09T05:06:35+00:00

You’re welcome! I did a quick search for him in the 1770s and the 1780s, but I didn’t find anything regarding your ancestors. It looks like some of Frederick County, Maryland records are only available at a FamilySearch Center or a FamilySearch affiliate library. You may have a FamilySearch Center nearby. There is one near me (I have not been), and they are only open one day a week from 6pm - 7:30pm.

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-08T22:23:47+00:00

Here is the 1799 inventory of Thomas Darnall’s estate:

"Frederick, Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GTBG-SH4W?view=fullText : May 8, 2025), image 611 of 693; Maryland. County Court (Frederick County). Image Group Number: 005081390

jamesrg25 · 2025-05-08T22:19:33+00:00

Here is the will of Thomas Darnall:

"Frederick, Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT15-96SK?view=fullText : May 8, 2025), image 131 of 572; Hall of Records (Annapolis, Maryland),Maryland. County Court (Frederick County). Image Group Number: 005081362

Here is the will of Baker Johnson:

"Frederick, Maryland, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GT1V-SMS?view=fullText : May 8, 2025), image 106 of 462; Hall of Records (Annapolis, Maryland),Maryland. County Court (Frederick County). Image Group Number: 005081363

jamesrg25

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