Friday, June 25, 2010

Eastern Band of Cherokee Tribe implements DNA testing for new applicants

by Janet Crain
This is a rather disturbing move on the part of the Cherokee Tribe. Note this does not say new enrollees must prove their genetic inheritance is Indian by DNA, rather it says they must prove their descent from someone on the Baker Roll.

That is most likely because many could not pass the DNA test as proven Native Americans. If neither father or mother go back to a Native American Indian then it is extremely hard to prove Native American by DNA. Circumstances where the original progenitor was a European Trader or the maternal line leads back to a captured European woman are among those which would result in a European finding even though the person was predominately Indian. It will be interesting to follow this new ruling.

Ancestry Testing/

A new enrollment ordinance passed by the Tribal Council of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, now requires new applicants to undergo DNA testing to verify their parental lineage.

The Cherokee One Feather website cited the Ordinance as saying: "The results of a DNA test, from a lab acceptable to the Enrollment Committee, establishing the probability of paternity and/or maternity by the parents through whom lineage is claimed for an applicant," is required for an application to be processed.

Cont. here:



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