A new analysis sheds light on some customers’ Indigenous genetic ancestry from North America
July 16, 2021 By 23andMe under Ancestry Reports, Inside 23andMe
23andMe added eight new regions within North America reflecting Indigenous genetic ancestry. The addition is in response not just to requests from thousands of customers, but also as part of an ongoing effort to create a 23andMe Ancestry Service that better reflects the diverse genetic ancestries of our customers.
With guidance from experts including Indigenous scientists, our team worked to provide some customers who have Indigenous ancestry from what is now the United States and Canada with more detailed ancestry results. In parallel, we created an experience that is both educational and transparent, in which we explain why genetic ancestry results cannot be used to seek or confirm any form of Indigenous belonging such as membership in a Tribe or Nation.
In 2019, we added a feature called “Recent Ancestry in the Americas,” which offers clues about our customers’ ancestry from Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. With this update in North America, we are now able to offer more detail about some customers’ Indigenous ancestry from what is now the U.S. and Canada, as well. Some customers will be seeing this update over the next several weeks as it is rolled out.
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