Share

Experts, Indigenous Americans, Dispute DNA Tests as Proof of Native Ancestry

Share

Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s attempt to fend off critics about her Native American ancestry might not pass the standards used by anthropologists and members of indigenous tribes.

The Massachusetts senator and potential 2020 Democratic hopeful released results Monday of a DNA test conducted by a Stanford University researcher to The Boston Globe that provided evidence that she may have a Native American ancestor dating back several generations.

Yet tests like the one Warren underwent are a subject of great controversy both from scholars and members of federally recognized tribes.

Most native communities don’t recognize DNA tests for membership.

The Cherokee Tribe, for example, requires that an individual identifies at least one direct ancestor in their comprehensive database.

Other tribes do require such testing, yet experts dispute their utility.

“People think that there’s a DNA test that can prove if somebody is Native American or not. There isn’t,” anthropologist Kim TallBear, the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Environment, told the New Scientist in a 2014 interview.

“There’s a great desire by many people in the U.S. to feel like you belong to this land. I recently moved to Texas, and many of the white people I meet say: ‘I’ve got a Cherokee ancestor,’” she said.

Others, likeTallBear, are suspicious of DNA tests.

“I don’t want to help them make money doing what I think is stupid science,” TallBear told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in June.

TallBear’s comments came after a DNA analysis showed that a pet chihuahua showed both the dog and owner shared an identical 20 percent native ancestry.

“Even in a credible DNA lab, there are problems with using these kinds of tests to determine Indigenous affiliation,” she said.

To some natives, the very notion of a DNA test is insensitive.

Frank Dukepoo, a geneticist with indigenous heritage, told the San Francisco Chronicle that DNA is “sacred.”

Related:
Photos: Ivanka Cuts Classically Elegant Figure While Playing Key Role in FIFA Club World Cup Kickoff

“To us, any part of ourselves is sacred. Scientists say it’s just DNA. For an Indian, it is not just DNA, it’s part of a person, it is sacred, with deep religious significance,” he said.

“It is part of the essence of a person.”

A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website. Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
Share
Founded by Tucker Carlson, a 25-year veteran of print and broadcast media, and Neil Patel, former chief policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, The Daily Caller News Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit providing original investigative reporting from a team of professional reporters that operates for the public benefit. Photo credit: @DailyCaller on Twitter




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation