I Was Native Until I Was Not
Everything changed when I took a test.
I’ve had an affinity for everything Native (Cherokee) for as long as I can remember. My mama told me her paternal great-grandma was full-blood Cherokee, and that I take after her in my looks.
When mama brought out the family photos, my first pick was always this elusive old woman. I used to gaze at her sitting outside among sticks and brambles with a corn-cob pipe in her mouth.
I tried to find some resemblance, but it was impossible because of the age and condition of the picture. Sadly, the mention of her faded along with the image.
People also assumed I had Native heritage because of my high cheekbones and long dark hair. I took pride in my Native ancestry until one day I took a DNA test, and everything changed.
It turns out I’m 43.3% Scots/Irish, 28.1% Scandinavian, and 28.6% two other ethnicities. Curious about the 28.6% other, I discovered I am European, and wait for it…and 1.3% Meso-American.
What the heck?
In this era of DNA testing, you may have the same sort of experience. However, before I investigate this life-changing paradigm, let’s talk about how misinformation or made-up stories can affect our lives.
