23andMe Adds 8 New Regions of Indigenous Genetic Ancestry
23andMe added eight new regions in North America reflecting Indigenous genetic ancestry. The addition is in response to not just requests from thousands of customers, but also as part of an ongoing effort to create a 23andMe Ancestry Service that better reflects the diverse genetic ancestries of their customers.
With guidance from experts including Indigenous scientists, 23andMe’s team worked to provide some customers who have Indigenous ancestry from what is now the United States and Canada with more detailed ancestry results. In parallel, they also created an experience that is both educational and transparent, in which they explain why genetic ancestry cannot be used to seek or confirm any form of Indigenous belonging such as membership in a Tribe or Nation.
The newly added regions are:
Alaska: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as Alaska, as well as some parts of western Canada.
Columbia River Basin: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as Washington, as well as some parts of southwestern Canada, Idaho, and Oregon.
Great Basin & Colorado River Basin: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as Nevada and California, as well as parts of Arizona and southern Idaho.
Great Lakes and Canada: Grandparents of individuals in this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as the Upper Midwest of the U.S., including Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, as well as some parts of North Dakota, Montana, Oklahoma, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, and central and southern Canada.
Northeast: Grandparents of individuals in this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as New York, as well as other U.S. states in the Northeast, including Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maine. Some individuals’ grandparents were born in parts of Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Oklahoma.
Plains: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as South Dakota, as well as some parts of Oklahoma, North Dakota, Montana, southern Minnesota, and Nebraska.
South Central: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is know known as Oklahoma, as well as parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, and Mississippi.
Southwest: Grandparents of individuals within this genetic reference group were primarily born in what is now known as New Mexico, as well as parts of Oklahoma, Utah, Colorado, and Arizona.
Related Articles on FamilyTree.com:
What Does it Mean to have “Native American DNA”?
The Cherokee Heritage Center has Cherokee Historical Resources
< Return To Blog
Leave a Reply