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WHAT IS INDIGENOUS?
Being indigenous means being an original inhabitant of a particular place. Some indigenous people still live on the land that their ancestors were born on while many other indigenous people have migrated through multiple regions over tens of thousands of years. All of our roots can be traced back to single point in Africa. And we may have even originated off planet. Through migration and dispersion, people have migrated to inhabit the entire globe. Most inhabitants of North and South America are recent immigrants but were indigenous to other parts of the world. The point is, that all people are indigenous if they follow their roots far enough back through history.
Some people have inherited documented family histories or are born into a culture that has strong tribal or cultural affiliations. They are fully conscious of their physical identity. However, many people’s histories have not been recorded. Many, especially in the melting pot of the United States, have no information about their roots.
Many in our modern culture are now suffering from feelings of being out of touch with tribal ties and community, emptiness due to loss of ritual and ceremony, and disassociation with deep spirituality. These souls are looking for something to fill these voids. Many latch onto the practices of other indigenous cultures that are still in touch with their spirituality.
However, utilizing modern technology, there is a way to discover one’s hidden or lost indigenous roots. Follow these roots back far enough and you will most likely find a tribe or tribes that you originated from. Discovering these roots and researching these cultures will enrich one’s sense of belonging. You may even decide to add some old traditions, customs, and rituals to your modern life.
Being Caucasian, I became curious about my own roots. From word of mouth within my family, I had suspicions about my origins but no definitive proof. I wanted to know what indigenous blood I actually had. So I took DNA tests from three different companies. The results indicate that my recent ancestors are all from Western Europe. Therefore I began to research tribes of Western Europe. Below is a map of major tribes in Europe. I add it here to illustrate my point that we all have indigenous roots, even “white” people.
The major pre-Christian spiritual traditions in Western Europe include Asatru, Celtic, Druidry, Heathenry, Paganism, Witchcraft, and Goddess worship.
All humans have tribal ancestry and genetic indigenous memory. However, many have lost touch with their indigenous soul. Western society is suffering from soul loss; a disconnect from the indigenous soul. That indigenous soul part has been displaced by patriarchal monotheistic religions. People are awakening and finding themselves starved for connection, ceremony, and rites of passage. It is now time to retrieve those lost soul parts through cultural affirmation.
The only way to save our future on Earth is to resurrect the tribe, re-indigenize the soul, and de-colonialize society. We must move from a Eurocentric consciousness to an Indigenous-Ecocentric consciousness or life on this planet will perish.
My next article will be about what characterizes an indigenous soul and how it compares to a soul that has lost its indigenous consciousness.
DNA FACTS
DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid, is a double helix found in all of our cells.
99% of DNA is the same in all people. A soul inherits only half of its parent’s DNA; 50% from mother and 50% from father. A mother always passes down an X chromosome to all her children (both males and females). A father only passes down his X chromosome to his female children.
A mother can pass down the X chromosome with or without recombination. Without recombination, the X chromosome is from one maternal grandparent. With recombination, the X chromosome is a mixture of both maternal grandparents. A father always passes down the X chromosome without recombination.
Therefore, your DNA can differ significantly from your siblings.
DNA contains the following information:
- Biological genetic heredity from ancestors.
- Characteristics of ethnicity, haplogroup, migration paths, and geographic origins of ancestor line.
- Biological sex chromosomes. (Not what determines gender identity.)
- Predisposition to health issues or genetic anomalies.
- Karmic imprints.
- Astrological imprints. (DNA is a snapshot of the pattern of the solar system at birth.)
- The Akashic Record of all lifetimes of the soul.
- Physical home for the Higher Self and the Source/Creator/Great Spirit connection.
DNA TESTING
There are four main DNA tests available commercially. They are:
Y-DNA (Y Chromosome)
- Traces male ancestors’ ancient migration paths from Africa
- Identifies haplogroup and migration paths of paternal line
- Since Y chromosome is required, if you are genetically female, you will need to have a male sibling get tested to identify the paternal line
mtDNA (Mitochondrial)
- Traces female ancestors’ ancient migration paths from Africa
- Identifies basic haplogroup and migration paths of maternal line
atDNA (Autosomal, 22 pairs non-sex chromosomes)
- Identifies ethnic percentages and origins
X-DNA (X Chromosome)
- Used for academic population genetics studies, extended forensic studies, and siblingship studies
There are four main companies doing DNA testing. The following is a list of what they offer:
23andMe www.23andme.com
- Detailed breakdown of global ancestry, see if some of your DNA comes from Neanderthals
- Find and connect with DNA relatives
- Option to upgrade to add health reports for an extra cost
Ancestry DNA www.ancestry.com
- Uncover your ethnic mix across 26 regions worldwide, including 9 unique regions of Africa
- World’s largest consumer DNA network—over 3 million people and counting
- Connect with distant relatives and new ancestors you never knew you had
Family Tree www.familytreedna.com
- Interactive tools to find DNA matches, trace lineage through time, and determine family connections
- Discover roots with the most comprehensive DNA ancestry test kit database in the world
- Find distant relatives and connect with our DNA test Family Matching System
- Family Tree DNA is the testing partner for National Geographic Genographic Project
DNA Tribes www.dnatribes.com
- Tests autosomal STRs inherited from both maternal and paternal ancestors for the most detailed and comprehensive genetic ancestry analysis available
- Our test compares your DNA to over 1,200 ethnic groups and 32 regions exclusive to DNA Tribes®
- Algorithms updated in April of 2015 with over 80 new populations including Greenland, Netherlands, Poland, China, Somalia and Ghana and representing approximately 30,000 people
All testing kits are available to purchase from their respective websites. All kits, except DNA Tribes, are also available from Amazon.com. The kits are mailed to you, you collect your sample (either saliva or a cheek swab), then mail the sample to the company. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks to receive your results. Results are available on your personal account page on the company’s website.
The National Geographic Genographic Project also does mtDNA and Y-DNA testing. (https://genographic.nationalgeographic.com). However, they do not give results of ethnicity-ancestry.
I was tested by DNA Tribes and Ancestry DNA. The ancestry results did not match at all. DNA Tribes was reporting ethnicities that my family was not aware of (predominately Eastern European). Ancestry DNA was much more in line with what we knew of our family tree (predominately Western European). So I got tested by a third company, 23andMe. The results from 23andMe were very close to Ancestry DNA results. In addition, 23andMe gave additional interesting information such as what percent Neanderthal genetic material is in my DNA. For an additional cost, they will also test for health issues that may be inherited.
Ancestry DNA has a feature that assists you in finding relatives based on the results of your DNA testing. I did not pursue this as I am not doing genealogy of my family tree.
Below is a chart comparing the four companies. Bottom line I recommend 23andMe and/or Ancestry DNA.
Chart of DNA Test Comparisons
| 23andMe | Ancestry DNA | DNA Tribes | Family Tree | |
| Cost | $99 | $79 | $119 | $90 |
| Sample Collection | Saliva | Saliva | Cheek Swab | Cheek Swab |
| Maternal Tree (mtDNA) | Yes | No | No | Additional Cost |
| Paternal Tree (Y-DNA)* | Yes | No | No | Additional Cost |
| Ancestry-Ethnicity (atDNA) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| X-DNA | Partial Matches | No | Unknown | Partial Matches |
| % Neanderthal | Yes | No | No | No |
| Health Info | Additional Cost | No | No | No |
*Paternal Tree requires Y (male) chromosome
DNA DAY
National, International, and World DNA Day is celebrated on April 25. It commemorates the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953. The first DNA Day was celebrated in 2003 and is now organized by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI).
RECOMMENDED READING
Blaine T Bettinger – Guide to DNA Testing & Genetic Genealogy
Nancy Hendrickson – Unofficial Guide to Ancestry.com: How to Find Your Family History on the No. 1 Genealogy Website
Dr. D. Barry Starr – A Handy Guide to Ancestry and Relationship DNA Tests
Spencer Wells – Deep Ancestry: Inside the Genographic Project
QUOTES
With DNA, the ability to find out a lot more with a lot less has increased our ability for identification. –Patricia Cornwell
We are spiritual beings whether we want to admit it or not, and inherent in our DNA is a design to return us home – home to our true essence, our greatest self, our limitless self. –Debbie Ford
It’s good to know where you come from. It makes you what you are today. It’s DNA, it’s in your blood. –Alexander McQueen
Our own genomes carry the story of evolution, written in DNA, the language of molecular genetics, and the narrative is unmistakable. –Kenneth R. Miller
We are in worldwide ecological and social crises. Only a return to the indigenous soul can save us. –Miranda Moon
Some of us have buried our humanity deep inside, or medicated or anesthetized it, but every person alive today, tribal or modern, primal or domesticated, has a soul that is original, natural, and, above all, indigenous in one way or another. –Martin Prechtel
These two-legged will be called the Rainbow Tribe, for they are the product of thousands of years of melding among the five original races. These children of Earth have been called together to open their hearts and to move beyond the barriers of disconnection. The medicine they carry is the Whirling Rainbow of Peace, which will mark the union of the five races as one. –Jamie Sams
All of today’s DNA, strung through all the cells of the earth, is simply an extension and elaboration of [the] first molecule. —Lewis Thomas
Life is a DNA software system. –Craig Venter
It turns out that every person alive today can trace his or her ancestry back to Africa. Everyone’s DNA tells a story of a journey from an African homeland to wherever you live. –Spencer Wells
Antigravity, teleportation, time travel, energetic DNA evolution and consciousness transformation could create a world few of us ever even dreamed of. –David Wilcock
Copyright © 2017 Drake Bear Stephen. Except where acknowledged.
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