G2G: Is there ny way to know if Ancestry.com's posts are valid sources?

Question

Ancestry.com shows me having native American Ancestors. Is there any way to know if their sources are valid/true?

Comments

I know of one person that found documents about his Native American family tree. The Cherokee Nation reviewed his work and sent him a card stating he was a member of the tribe.

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Are you talking about through DNA testing or "matches" with people in their data base?  Big difference.

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Matches with people I think but you could tell me about the DNA too if you are able.

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If it shows in your DNA I would believe it. But if you're going by family trees, like other people have said, they are just what other people are adding and some people don't take the time to use facts.  They just copy and paste from other people's trees. If ancestry is showing that you are related to someone then it's through DNA. It doesn't always show how because some people don't have trees or not a lot of people in their trees so you can't match the names. But as someone else also stated, you could always contact the person and start a discussion with them. But never take anything as fact from someone's family tree unless there is proof/documentation to show it's a fact.

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Thank you Carol.

Answer 1

The vast majority of claims of Native ancestry on Ancestry trees are unsupported by any documents.  Many of the hints provided by Ancestry suggesting that this or that ancestor can be found in some Native American record are simply a person with the same or a similar name.  Finding a Native American ancestor is really no different from finding any other ancestor.  Start with what you know, work back with as much documentation as you can locate.  If you can place an ancestor at a time and place where Native Americans were present, then start looking for a connection in Native American records.

Comments

Thank you Kathie. Ancestry shows me related one way or another to "lots and lots" of folks only some of whom I can verify.

Answer 2

Just my thought on this. If you can't identify a reliable source for that information that makes it interesting but unproven.

If its someone's tree you could message them for more info. Maybe they have a source but have not listed it.

Answer 3

If your ancestors appear in Ancestry's actual sources, like tribal enrollments, rolls, etc. But on a tree? Those are user-created and, as we've seen many times in genealogy circles, many people want to be Native and will invent or wholeheartedly accept a legend or hoax if it gives them what they want.

Answer 4

Yeah, without documentation, take such as interesting but not proven. My family history says that my 7x great grandmother ?? Stanton Prentice? Pokanoket? was a daughter of Matcomet ("King Philip"). Apparently that story originated generations ago. But, since marriages to and births of Native Americans weren't recorded by "the invaders," there's no record of that.

Comments

Thanks David. I know that I am directly descended from both Thomas and Joseph Rogers who were Mayflower passengers and have GSMD  certificates for them. Ancestry shows me having other Mayflower passengers like Brewster and Hopkins for example. Ancestry also shows me descended from Wampanoag folks but I do not have valid source info for them.