Scientist (physicist) and educator for many years. In between college and university was stints in the film industry in Boston and San Francisco during the seventies. Presently doing nature video production as a self employed videographer and editor. Commercially rated pilot that flies fixed wing and unmanned aircraft.
I have been interested in my mother's side of the family since the age of eight. I was fascinated with her stories of our Acadian family. Trips through Nova Scotia in 1971 and 1972 brought me in contact with many relatives and family genealogists.
In 2015 (using distant DNA analysis from the National Geographic Genographic Project) I had my paternal and maternal DNA tested for distant ancestry. My father's haplogroup goes back some 2500 years ago to some of the first Celtic peoples to inhabit Wales and Ireland. Again using the distant DNA analysis from the National Geographic Genographic program, I have found my father's DNA came from the Ui Neill clan. The haplogroup of this clan is R-M222 and is allegedly tied to the Niall of the Nine Hostages, one of the kings who united tribes in northern Ireland during the 5th century C.E. Haplogroup R-M222 came from some males in Ireland well before the Nialls.
My mother's haplogroup goes back to the Maghreb region in Morocco and Tunisia. My maternal haplogroup is U6a7a1, it is this haplogroup associated with Acadian ancestry that has proved once and for all that the Lejeune sisters, Catherine and Edmee, had a European mother.
Most importantly, I found my mother had a high percentage of Native American ancestry and my great grandfather, Louis Andre Doucet, was of the paternal haplogroup c-p39. Haplogroup c-p39 is paternally a full Native American.
My distant and fully Native American ancestors are: Germain Doucet 1641 (Doucet-19), Anne Marie Unknown Mi'kmaq 1631 (Unknown-182545), Marie Mi'kmaq 1660 (Mi'kmaq-17), Marie Doucet 1635 (Doucet-33), Marie Abenaki 1610 (Abenaki-9).
There are geneologists who prefer having unnamed Amerindiennes, that were previously named Unknown, given last names that are more easily searched. Giving these people last names that reflect their native ancestry honors that culture, honors the family they helped establish, and honors these previously unknown people as individuals who should be recognized and easily searched on Wikitree.
When researching the plight of exiles I try to imagine what daily life was like? Their needs; of survival, of their health, of their fears, of the births, of the newborns, of the children. What happened when a mother's death happened during this time, or a father's death? The families survive, but in such a devastated condition. We genealogists write down their cold fact biographies. I want to give them a voice. A voice that brings them back to life and expresses those day to day happenings. I only wish we now can give them that voice.
Have you taken a DNA test? If so, login to add it. If not, see our friends at Ancestry DNA.
John is 20 degrees from Isaac Asimov, 27 degrees from David Attenborough, 23 degrees from Bill Bryson, 25 degrees from Richard Dawkins, 35 degrees from Bengt Feldreich, 33 degrees from Ruth Gates, 27 degrees from Stephen Hawking, 25 degrees from Julius Miller, 21 degrees from Bill Nye, 28 degrees from Magnus Pyke, 29 degrees from Carl Sagan and 20 degrees from David Randall on our single family tree. Login to find your connection.
It’s time for our annual Ireland Project check-in! Please respond within the next two weeks to let me know:
Please respond to this message by posting a reply below or sending me a private message on WikiTree. If we don’t hear from you within two weeks, we will assume you are no longer interested in participating in the Ireland Project, and your badge will be removed. If you wish to reapply for membership later, we will be happy to have you back. Many thanks, and I look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Jen Hutton, on behalf of the Ireland Project
Martha Beaugh-15 Leger
Thank you so much for responding to our check-in. We are delighted that you wish to continue contributing to the Acadia Project. Below is a quick checklist for active members. The project leaders would like you to make sure you have done the following:
1) Checked the https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Project:Acadians] for ways to contribute.
2) Added Acadia to the tags you follow.
3) PMed the project leaders with your email address to be added to the {https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/wikitree-acadians].
4) Bookmarked the [1] to monitor the project watchlist.
Thank you!
Karen ~ Volunteer Coordinator
Worst thing about Wikitree is the incorrect, incomplete, and unverifiable sources without links.
We share the same DNA connection (U6a7) and have many of the same family. I am really enjoying your work on our common ancestors and also the collaboration. I, too, wonder about the day to day lives of these acadians. The large families as well as the quick remarriages show how hard life must have been. I have been talking to my mom's family about life in the immediate previous generations. Mom was the 2nd oldest in her family and would be 101 if she was alive. I think life was pretty stable after the deportation, for those who returned. My aunt remembers great-grandmother Lenore, who was married 3 times. She had a pretty tough life, but survived.
Congratulations on earning the Club 1000 badge for March. Thanks for all your hard work, especially to be a part of our Acadia project. :)