How Native American Is She?

Littlechild@emperorsnuclothes.com/ October 15, 2018/ Uncategorized

Well, well, well. Elizabeth Warren released her DNA test results today and says that her claims of Native American ancestry have been vindicated. But have they been?

The DNA test that she took placed her degree of Native American ancestry back at six to ten generations. So how “much” of a Native American does that make her? Let’s take a look at what the generation estimates given by the DNA test really mean. Specifically, let’s look at the implications of the sixth generation (most inclusive) estimate. We’ll take the analysis step by step:

If Warren’s mother was ALL Native American and had married a non Native American, Warren’s Native American ancestry would be said to be 1/2 (and she would be said to be “second generation”)

Instead, if her GRANDMOTHER was ALL Native American, Warren would be said to be: (1/2)x(1/2)= 1/4 Native American (third generation)

Instead, if her GREAT GRANDMOTHER mother was ALL Native American, Warren would be said to be: (1/2)x(1/2)x(1/2) = 1/8 Native American (fourth generation)

Instead, if her GREAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER was ALL Native American, Warren would be said to be: (1/2)x(1/2)x(1/2)x(1/2) = 1/16 Native American (fifth generation)

Finally, if her GREAT, GREAT, GREAT GRANDMOTHER, was ALL Native American, Warren would be said to be:
(1/2)x(1/2)x(1/2)x(1/2)x (1/2) = 1/32 (sixth generation)

For easier conceptualization, let’s convert the fractions noted above to percentages. The 1/32 fraction converts to 3.1 percent. So, if the 6th generation estimate is correct, Warren would be only 3.1% Native American! If the 10th generation estimate were correct she would be 1/512 Native American, or 0.2%!

So how does her Native American ancestry claim hold up? Obviously, not too well. It turns out that to claim benefits as a Native American you have to be certified by a government recognized tribe. Some tribes require a 25% ancestry and most require at least a 1/16th (one great great grandparent) ancestry, or 6.2%. So, even tribes with very inclusive (6.2%) requirements would reject her claim, as would all the tribes with stricter requirements. And if the tenth generation estimate is the correct one, the margin for rejection would be 32 times greater (6.2/0.2)!

So, has Warren’s claim been vindicated? No, it appears that it hasn’t. And, so, dear readers, we can conclude that, to use a Native American expression, “she speaks with forked tongue”.