Blacks discover their DNA roots

The Sunday Times (U.K.) ^ | 02/25/07 | Tony Allen-Mills

[Grut]

The Vikings really got around so I would not be surprised if someone of English heritage has some Scandinavian ancestors.

No doubt of that. But the Norwegians came late to the use of family names (Ole Svenson, son of Sven Larson, father of Sigurd Oleson) and my paternal grandfather was the first to bear the family name.

[aruanan]

In a 21st-century twist on the epic feat of genealogical research described in Roots, Alex Haley’s worldwide 1976 bestseller, thousands of African Americans are paying up to £300 for DNA tests that claim to offer them the chance of identifying the tribes and nations from which their ancestors were sold into slavery.

Too bad the test won't show which other African tribe it was that sold their ancestors into slavery.

[scrabblehack]

There are two different countries in Africa. One is Guinea-Bissau (its capital is Bissau). The other is called Guinea (its capital is Conakry, but the country itself is usually not called Guinea-Conakry).

Apparently, inhabitants of either country are called Guineans.

But it's amazing that the DNA outfit could establish a unique signature for Guinea-Bissau as opposed to Guinea or Senegal.

When I first looked at your picture, I thought it might have been a guinea pig -- possibly related to this area, possibly not....

Guinea pig
1664, native to South America and is so called either because it was first brought back to Britain aboard Guinea-men, ships that plied the triangle trade between England, Guinea, and South America; or from confusion of Guinea (q.v.) with the South American region of Guyana. (Online Etymology Dictionary).

[William Terrell]

. . .the chance of identifying the tribes and nations from which their ancestors were sold into slavery.

Then they find out their tribe's own Chief sold them to a New York slaver for a bottle of whiskey.

[Jim Noble]

Wow, so someone from Guinea-Bissau is Guinean. Someone from Guinea (could you call it Guinea-Conakry?) is also Guinean.

One of the problems with Africa is that the "nationalities" that appear on the map are for the most part nonexistent.

Actually, except for the UN delegation, there's no such thing as a "Guinean" or a "Sierra Leonean".

[Hawthorn]

> There are two different countries in Africa. One is Guinea-Bissau (its capital is Bissau). The other is called Guinea (its capital is Conakry, but the country itself is usually not called Guinea-Conakry). <

And don't forget the pathetic little African country named "Equatorial Guinea" -- considered by most old Africa hands whom I've known to be the worst of the worst.

Then on the northern coast of South America there were/are:

1. French Guiana (home to the French space-launch program and the prison in the movie "Papillon"),

2.British Guiana (now simply "Guyana," home to James Jones' famous kool-aid party), and

3. Dutch Guiana (now the hyper-corrupt, independent nation called "Surinam").

Finally there's New Guinea, just north of Australia. It's another paragon of ordered liberty and honest government.

Quite a group!

[Jessarah]

And isn't there a Papua New Guinea? or is that another name for one already mentioned?

[Hawthorn]

> And isn't there a Papua New Guinea? or is that another name for one already mentioned? <

That's the one just north of Australia.

[mysterio]

Pretty cool that they can trace your origins using DNA. I'd love to find out more about the migration of my ancestors. My mom traced our side back to Lew Wallace (Ben Hur author) and back to Braveheart. Maybe that's part of why I dislike government so much, lol.

[gracie1]

Can you please add me to the genetic genealogy ping list?