When the indigenous peoples of the Americas encountered European settlers in the 15th century, they faced people with wildly different religions, customs, and—tragically—diseases; the encounters wiped out large swaths of indigenous populations within decades. Now, researchers have found that these diseases have also left their mark on modern-day populations: A new study suggests that [...]
In 1996, two teenagers stumbled across some very old human remains. The struggle to identify them and determine who owns them kicked off a fight that has lasted 20 years — and is finally about to be resolved. Go to GimletMedia.com/FallSeason to subscribe to Undone and Gimlet’s other new podcasts. Credits Undone [...]
So you send your DNA off to an ancestry company, and get a report back that says you're part Native American, or part Italian, or part Nigerian. So what? Maybe you're excited to learn about your roots, but can you really consider yourself part of that culture? Not really, says Kim TallBear. "We [...]
For a fee, you can fill out an application, swab your cheek and find out if you have Native ancestry. Dozens of online services perform this service for hundreds of curious people. But does the result mean you can finally declare your Cherokee heritage? What do online DNA kits really tell us about Native ancestry? [...]