Just got your DNA test and want to know more?
Or maybe you want to validate the family stories about your heritage?
If so, you may ask, “How much Native American do I have in my blood?” It is no surprise that many of us have a mixture of ethnicities in our blood. One of those dominates comes directly from our parents but if we consider our grandparents or our great-grandparents then the story changes a little.
A very frequently asked question is the percentage or fraction of Native American a person is and there are many ways to depict that but first, we must clear out some things so that the calculations are clearer, easier, and more accurate. The real question is what percentage of a particular ethnicity you have on paper in comparison to what you have genetically. Keep in mind that having Native American ancestry in your DNA does not make you part of a tribe. Being a certain percentage Native American is more than just blood; it's about being a part of a tribe, community, and culture.
Related Info – How Much Percentage of Native American Do You Have To Be To Enroll With a Tribe
If you look at the oral history of the family that tends to be a little inaccurate as it becomes either diluted or condensed as the time passes.
An example of this can be seen in that if someone's grandmother claims that she is 3/4th, she might not be that because maybe she has more ethnicities that came from her grandparents further. Plus how does one have exactly 2/3rd of ethnicity because each person has four grandparents? So yes there can be some sort of ambiguity so the story that you hear might not be the whole truth.
It takes two people in each generation so the fraction can only be divisible of 2 or 4 but not 3. So in the case of grandparents it ¼ and in the case of great-grandparents, it's 1/8. This is the mathematical form to add some sort of clarity.
Blood Quantum Calculator
Blood Quantum Chart
It is not as hard as it sounds just because it has math in it.
Let’s take a look at it.
How To Calculate Blood Quantum
First and foremost we must know that the DNA of a person is diluted in half so for that reason each ancestral generation is reduced to half because it makes more sense this way. So if for instance, a person's mother has 1/8 of a particular ethnicity then the person they would have a fraction of 1/16 because they inherited half of their mother's DNA. So by this, you can calculate. After that, you find the common denominator. I know this is a lot of math but we are dealing with genetics here so this is necessary.
So if you have, let's say the numbers 1/16 and 2/16 then they are easy to add because they have the same denominator. However, if you have two numbers with different denominators like 2/16 and 3/32 then you will make their denominators the same to add them. So you multiply 2/16 with two and you get 4/32. Now you can add both these fractions. Now once you are done with this, you move on to adding the numerators or the top numbers together.
Once you have added those you have the fraction of the Native American Ethnicity that you have in you on paper and you can now convert that into percentage form and know exactly. For this, you must know fractions in your family tree to make sure those are accurate.
So in simpler words, we get the equation:
Mothers blood degree + Fathers blood degree = Total blood degree/Total divided by half = Childs blood degree
All this mathematical game was too easy to be true.
But now you have to figure out how to prove this particular information. This is where genetics step in. If we talk about Native ancestry then the answer varies on the purpose i.e. general interest, tribal identification or tribal membership, etc. For this, you can, of course, take a DNA test from Family Tree DNA called Family Finder which will further provide you with the percentage of ethnicity you have including Native American with the addition of the list of cousin matches. You are also offered additional tests in the case of relevance to figure out if you descend from the Native person paternally (male) or matrilineally (for both the sexes). Information that will be useful is that the Y DNA is inherited by males from their fathers and the mitochondrial DNA is always inherited by their mothers. These particular tests of the mitochondrial and Y give you very specific information.
On the other hand, Family Finder provides you with the information of your ethnicity judging by all your lines giving you more in-depth and accurate information. The only thing it cannot tell you is from which lines or lines the Native American heritage came. The information is such that a person can be considered a full Native tribal member although the person might have just half Native American Heritage. So what do we learn from this?
It is that you should always enjoy and cherish your family history and heritage. Another thing that you must keep in mind is that tribal memberships were not based on percentages in history at least not until the 1800s and early 1900s. You must also know that your ancestor was either an Indian tribal member or was not one and this is based on the tribal status of their mothers. In history, there was no concept of halfway or mixed so percentages and fractions did not matter.
By DNA testing, the percentages will also help you figure out where you got the Native American heritage from. The calculations are translated as: For instance, if you are 50% / Half Blooded Quantum meaning One Parent If you are 25% / One-Fourth Blood Quantum meaning One Grandparent 12.5% is One-Eighth Blood Quantum meaning One Great-Grandparent 6.25% is One-Sixteenth Blood Quantum meaning One Great-Great-Grandparent And so on, showing that this is how the percentage helps pinpoint where you got your Native American heritage from. Read more about Blood Quantum laws.
PowWows.com is an affiliate of Ancestry.com
If you want to confirm Native American heritage then a DNA test is the best way. It can also do so in a variety of ways such as how is the heritage descended on you with the tests of Y and mitochondrial DNA. Depending on whether the person is a male or a female and how the person descends from his or her Native ancestors. If the person gets the Y or the mitochondrial DNA test done then there could be an abundant amount of information added in the person’s family history. In the case of some people, DNA testing is used to deduct and discover if they have a Native ancestor. So if accurate information without any ambiguity is what you are looking for then the best way to find out is through DNA testing and also finding out the percentage you have on paper.
Last Updated on July 29, 2024 by Paul G
Kimberly Curtis
says:I did a DNA test on ancestry.com and it came back with 1% Native American. Would I be able to apply for tribal entry?
Paul G
says:Depends on the tribe, see the info above.
Ricky Butler
says:My Father was born in Oklahoma to a 3/4 Cherokee Indian Father. who is on the Dawes Role as such. my great-grandfather was full-blood Cherokee and my great-grandmother was half-Cherokee. I knew this all my life. recently I have joined Ancestry and read all the documents of my Cherokee lineage. my grandfather was enrolled in 1902 by his mother. my dad’s mother was white. looks like Scottish ancestry along with Irish and English. so my father was 3/8 Cherokee (my mother was white) makes me 3/16 Cherokee. the ancestry results have not come in yet. so what percentage of Native American does this make me? curious to see what the results say!
Don Moore
says:My maternal great-grandmother told me stories about our Family as Choctaw. Her father my great great grandfather is registered as full blooded Mississippi Choctaw. I was also able to trace the tribal names in Mississippi. I have the identification for Mississippi Choctaw information from 1901 not sure if they’re still valid. And did a genealogy test with me having indigenous American DNA. Where can I go to access the records of tribal members of the 1800-1900s?
Paul G
says:Thanks for writing!
I have several resources on PowWows.com to help you trace your family history.
First, start by reading our information here
https://www.powwows.com/am-i-native-american-how-to-find-my-indian-ancestors/
This page will give you links to more of the content about family history.
Also, I have a free email course about using Ancestry.com to find your Native American family history. The emails take you through Ancestry.com system step by step. And you can do it using their free 14-day trial!
https://www.powwows.com/learn-how-to-find-your-family-history/
Be sure to join our Facebook group to talk with other people search for their family history.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nativeamericanfamilyhistory
Let me know if you have more questions!
Good luck with your search.
Thanks,
Paul G
PowWows.com
Sonja
says:This is truly sad. I was adopted at birth and have only found out of my Native American heritage through DNA, there was some speculation of course, I have black hair and dark brown eyes and olive skin and my family are all western European (blonde, blue eyes, fair skin). I have since found my biological mother however she was ALSO adopted. We were both raised in the Four Corners area and we have lots of DNA relatives but how are we supposed to find where WE fit in this world, the privilege of having those stories told to us was stripped. We didn’t get a say in that. We both have a strong connection to the tribes in our area and with the culture but that does not get us tribal rights because we DON’T belong.
Shirley Gilbert
says:I was in foster care my entire childhood. As an older teen, I met my birth parents! I have no knowledge of who or where they came from. I took a DNA from 23&me and it shows that I have indigenous Native American dna.. all parties are deceased and I have no persons to ask. Alone much?
Paul G
says:Thanks for writing!
I have several resources on PowWows.com to help you trace your family history.
First, start by reading our information here
https://www.powwows.com/am-i-native-american-how-to-find-my-indian-ancestors/
This page will give you links to more of the content about family history.
Also, I have a free email course about using Ancestry.com to find your Native American family history. The emails take you through Ancestry.com system step by step. And you can do it using their free 14-day trial!
https://www.powwows.com/learn-how-to-find-your-family-history/
Be sure to join our Facebook group to talk with other people search for their family history.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nativeamericanfamilyhistory
Let me know if you have more questions!
Good luck with your search.
Thanks,
Paul G
PowWows.com
Jay
says:My blood quantum is 229/256 what is the percent never really asked anyone too much questions
edward in rural Virginia
says:Apologies for trying to understand this discussion. I do not mean to be offensive. But I must say that theories that separates human groups by ‘blood quantam’ has been, historically, and currently, a tool of racist oppression. I am from Virginia: Virginia eugenics laws (Racial Integrity Act and Eugenical Sterilization Act both in the same year) were used oppress groups in horrible ways because of ‘blood quantam’, with ‘purity’ of north european ‘blood’ to be being the highest in the hierarchy. The ‘one drop’ rule – one drop of non-north european ‘blood’ pushed you down the hierarchy. Of course these eugenical theories were/are horribly un-scientific, un-ethical, and un-just. And the horrible results of such theories and laws is well known. So, shouldn’t the discussion of heritage, and pride in heritage, be undertaken in some other terms than racist-eugenical ‘blood quantam’? Thank you.
Teresa Peden
says:My dna says 25%, but of what culture? My ancestors are a mix of Adaes, Choctaw and Apache.
Paul G
says:Thanks for writing!
I have several resources on PowWows.com to help you trace your family history.
First, start by reading our information here
https://www.powwows.com/am-i-native-american-how-to-find-my-indian-ancestors/
This page will give you links to more of the content about family history.
Also, I have a free email course about using Ancestry.com to find your Native American family history. The emails take you through Ancestry.com system step by step. And you can do it using their free 14-day trial!
https://www.powwows.com/learn-how-to-find-your-family-history/
Be sure to join our Facebook group to talk with other people search for their family history.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nativeamericanfamilyhistory
Let me know if you have more questions!
Good luck with your search.
Thanks,
Paul G
PowWows.com
Jerry Lee McSpadden
says:I just discovered that my Great Grandmother (on my fathers side) was registered in the US Native American Enrollment cards for the Rive Civilized Tribes Sept 1 1902 to be 1/32 Cherokee by blood. My Grand mother and grand father nor my father and mother had no recorded Native American blood, what % of Cherokee blood would that make me ? Thanks
carl
says:My mother was a purebred Choctaw and through Ancestry I am finding many relatives in Mississippi who are recorded as “Mulatto”. They had a close relationship as a mixed African Americans with the Creek and Choctaw.
I want to know can Mulatto be half Indian too because there are not any Caucasian in our family in the 1700-1900’s?
Dallas LeDoux
says:Hello my percentage is 19/32 how much would that be actually like less then half or more then half how close is that to being full blood
Cherokee young
says:According to the fraction that means your 59.37% if that’s an actual fraction your using and not a guesstimate
Maxwell
says:0.7 is what?
Sheela J Grant
says:Hello! It is my understanding that 23&Me & Ancestry.com use some government documents for your estimate. It is only an estimate. The percentages, I’m told, don’t work like a pie chart. For example if it says 50% Italian & 2% Chinese, …, it doesn’t mean you are half Italian. It means you have a higher chance of having ancestors from Italy than from China based on their estimate & these estimates change over time. Also, they do not have all the samples, so they may not have a sample group for your ancestors. As for the government documents, they may be inaccurate. Some of your native ancestors who lived off the reservation may be documented on the census as “white” sometimes, at other times “black”, yet other times “mulatto” based on the census takers knowledge & experience. … I was told again that your best bet is to go by what your elders have said. They are more trustworthy than someone who stands to make money off of you. As for native heritage & nations, if someone on the nation recognizes your family as being part of their nation, then you descend from there. However, the connection may have been lost & things not documented. It doesn’t mean you can’t learn about that part of your heritage, just that you can’t be member of a tribe. Blood quantum shouldn’t matter for you the way it does with the tribes. …
Denise Duarte Walker
says:I did my DNA results and just got them back on 12/10/2020 and it shows 95% Indigenous American and 5% Sub-Saharan African/Africa (this was the first time i took my DNA then paid to have an Advanced DNA done) and when i received that on 12/10/2020 it showed 47.7% Central America, 8.2% Pima county:Sonora and 6.6%Fennoscandian (these was the top 3) but when i called the rep to have them explain this to me they informed me that i had way over 50% Native American Indian Blood and German followed by French, italian Jewish Russian and African. What is my next step i would like to learn from what tribes i am from if I am Native American
Sandi
says:Search for DNA Consultants website and their Native American DNA study. Purchase a kit, submit it, and they will break down all of your indigenous ethnicities.
Javier Nuno
says:I found out I am 50% Native American through a dna test. I don’t know what to do with this information because I thought I was more Spanish than anything. I don’t want to claim a clan or tribe because I think it would be disrespectful but I would like to know more about my new found ancestry.
(51.6% Native American, 37.5% Spanish/Southern European)
Terri Smith
says:I am 1/16 cherokee and do have my card i have a son and daughter and the have kids of their own are the eligible to get a cherokee card to?
Little-Feather
says:I wish I could manage to get my card as well. I’m like 1/4 Cherokee. I was told it came from my paternal grandmother. My mother, now passed, was supposed to have Native American, but she never did a DNA. Just wasn’t first and foremost on mind’s as we were growing up.
MarkAnthony Ramsey
says:There is no DNA test you can do to provide proof and no DNA test is usable to enroll in the tribe. If you can prove you are a direct decsendant from am enrolled member on the final roll cards no matter what the blood quantum is you can enroll
Rachael Smith
says:No, if you are 1/16, you kids would be 1/32, which isn’t enough DNA to be considered for membership. It takes a minimum of 1/16th to be considered a member.
MarkAnthony Ramsey
says:That’s not at all true
MarkAnthony Ramsey
says:Yes as long as you can provide direct lineage to a member on the final roll card you are eligible for membership no matter what the blood quantum is there is no minimum qualifications for Cherokee Nation. This does not count Eastern Band they require 1/4 any one tells you different they don’t know what they are talking about
Linda Wilson
says:Hello, my grandmother and grandfather were both full blooded Indian. I ordered the accestry DNA test and will be taking the test soon. I will be very proud to have a native American Indian heritage. I know there is more steps to take I am so excited I guess that explains why I love horses and the mountains and so many other things in life!
Sincerely Linda
MarkAnthony Ramsey
says:There is no DNA test you can take to prove Native American decent and all you need to enroll is proof that your grandparents are and you can be enrolled
Noah
says:he didn’t say Mexican, he said Spanish…
Angelita
says:I am 70% Navajo. I need more information how can I register
Roxanne
says:Where do you live. This will help you find your tribe.
Tricia
says:If I have a baby with someone that had a parent that is an enrolled member of a Chippewa tribe and considered half and my mother was enrolled as a quarter what would are children be considered? Not quite good enough for anything or at least considered a descendant like I am at only an 1/8? Or can they be enrolled.
Angelique
says:My DNA states that I am 40% Native American. How do I find out what tribe my mother and fathers family belonged to. and also this fraction everyone is talking about Blood Quantum
Rain
says:I’m full blooded Native American. My mother 100% Diné(Navajo) and father 100% Lakota(Sioux). I’m glad I don’t have to deal with blood quantum and my future kids. Don’t wanna lose the blood, cultures and traditions.
Tony Howell
says:This article oversimplifies the DNA aspect. We inherit 1/2 of our DNA from our father and 1/2 of of our DNA from our mother. However, we don’t inherit exactly 1/4 of the DNA from each of our grandparents due to the randomness of what DNA is passed to us from our parents. So, we could actually have more or less DNA from a particular grandparent. On average, we could possibly get 25% of our DNA from each of our grandparents, but our actual DNA ethnicity percentages will usually not match exactly what we show “on paper.” If siblings take the same DNA test, each of their ethnicities can vary.
Tricia
says:It’s nice you can say you’re recognized as full blood but I disagree that just because one is not full traditions are lost. I’m nowhere near full and I know my history and where I came from on my moms side and so do my cousins and friends that have gone on to have mixed children as well. It’s too bad tribes took away the right to be enrolled after you drop below a quarter because I look and know more then some that are considered more then me.
Sheela J Grant
says:Yup!
Maggie
says:I would like to talk with you about issues of blood and my native culture.
Amber
says:My grandfather was 100%. So I would be 1/4 at least,( my mother has some not sure how much.) I can go on the registry. My youngest brother is already on it and he is part Italian because of his mom. I consider myself native. I just don’t hold very much of anything else and don’t look the part at all. Native genes are dominate I guess? But should I? Or having 1 grandfather 100% pointless? I’m not sure how much my father is I just know he was what they said like 80%. Is it worth the research to find out how much I am?
Tricia
says:If you can prove your grandfather is or was considered a full blood Native American in that tribe that would make you a quarter of your mother or father were mixed with something else. To prove it like I did to use the IHS hospital other then where my mom was enrolled I had to show her enrollment papers and match it to my birth certificate. My grandfather was considered half because only one parent was considered full blood and he married outside making my mom a quarter which makes me able to prove myself as a descendant that way. My mom had brought me and my brothers off and on to the IHS where she is from so I was always able to go there whenever I wanted with no questions ask but I moved further away from that reservation and wanted to use White Earth in Minnesota’s hospital which is another Chippewa reservation. I was told as long as I could prove I was a descendent I would be ok. Look into it and if you can find documentation and have your birth certificate to prove who your parents are against the enrolled member you can take it from there. I had my mothers original paper and ID put away after she passed and already knew where I stood before her passing. I look more native to some then French, German or black accept I stick out more I think when I let my big curls down, but the way I look at it, it’s not my fault I’m not considered more.
Good Luck!
Amber
says:My grandfather is 100%, I have no idea the percentage my grandmother was. My father would be 1/2 at least so I would be 1/4? My mother has native blood aswell so I’m not too sure how much. My youngest brother is on the registry. I want to get on there aswell. Considering if he can then I can aswell cause his mother is Italian so I definitely can.
Maury McDonald
says:If one parent is 2/4 and the other 4/4 what is the quantum of the child? furhter if that child has offspring with another 4/4 what then is the resulting quantum??
Alison Houser
says:My great grandmother was 1/2 Cherokee and lived on Indian reservation in NC ,how much Indian does that make me?
Tricia
says:1/16. Not enough to enroll or even been seen as a descendant in most cases from what I’ve been told or read. I’m an 1/8 and only seen as a descendant since my mother was an enrolled member and only recognized as a quarter using how the tribe figures it out quantum percentages where she’s from.
Adam Cook
says:By census I am roughly 3% Croatan and Pee, by blood I’m less than 1%. Was raised Croatan, was told I was Native American all my life. DNA tests and blood percentage are just another way I feel that people are trying to extinguish our culture and people. They say we’re white people playing Indian, not upholding sacred teachings and ways of life of a people destroyed by disease, war and over 100 years of racism. I wish we could do away with these concepts and live how our grandfathers and grandmothers believed.
Shirley steelman
says:My mother has said that her mother was from England her name is nora drake her father was Faris old or olds and he was Cherokee my mother name is febe,olds she change her name to eva olds her sister mattie olds I just trying my mother’s family
Quiana Wade
says:Thank you for this clarification . Many of my family members are on the tribal council but our ancestors are so mixed . But this definitely helps . It’s hard when your down to fractions with the lineage . Oral history helps especially documents and plenty of research.
Lalasha Yarborough
says:My mom is philipeno and black and my dad is Cherokee and black what percent am I?
Paul Goodnough
says:My grandmother (maternal) was born on the Indian Territories before it became Oklahoma. the 1910 US Census state that she and my Great Grandmother were “Indian” The family “tradition is that my Great Grandmother was found by settlers on the Trail from Missouri to thre territories and was brought into the family , and that she was considered “Black Dutch”. My Grandmother stated to me that her mother was from the Kiowa-Apache tribe near the Stockade of Ft. Sill. No birth records from the pre statehood days is making it hard for me to trace true lineage. the K-A were not listed as a tribe on the Dawes Rolls, so i am at a quandry.
Elisha
says:My papas was the chief of Cherokee Andy mama’s was full blooded. How much do I have? I got told I’m over half
Monica Verdugo- Thomas
says:I’ve done my DNA test and it shows 63% Native American… of course this mean nothing since I’ve no clue what Tribe or anything else. At a lost as to where begin to search.
Ana
says:I got back my DNA and am 12.5 % Native American. I am like you at a lost as to where to begin my search.
Willow
says:What blood tests are you guys using? I would like to do one and I know there are many different ones out there.
Tammy Lyle
says:I am 16% American native, l don’t know where l fit in and if l have a right to belong in group.
Paul G
says:Look here – https://www.powwows.com/much-percentage-native-american-enrol-tribe/
And here – newpowwows.www.powwows.com/am-i-native
Diane
says:My great great grandmother was Indian but I do not know the blood percentage how can I find out
Jeannette Clarke
says:Where and what is the name of test I have to take to get the quautam test done , is it by blood or saliva ? My great grand father is Cherokee and Choctaw need percentages in blood line of blood quantum . What the name of the tests ?
Paul G
says:Look here – https://www.powwows.com/know-dna-testing-family-history-research/
Ed
says:I do not claim any Native heritage. I am Welsh on my fathers side and English on my mothers side by birth, and yet since childhood I have identified with the Navajo people, I love to read about the country and have three Navajo pen pals. I have no idea what is inside my head and I do not share this with others as a matter of course, I just know that I have a spiritual connection. It may sound strange but it keeps me happy.
Anna
says:If my great grandfather Indian roll card says he was 1/64 Choctaw then how much am I? I know I have enough Indian blood to become a tribal member because my cousins ( my dad’s brother’s kids) are enrolled with the Choctaw nation and we are from the same generation.
Courtney Brown
says:I have nothing in the blood. It only shows DNA markers to link me to a 4th great grandmother and her parents. They were Creek. But as the blood quantum calculator proves, this is how that blood is watered down. So I’m completely white. I am not allowed to claim them, and any no one in the Creek or Seminole tribes will bother with me. According to the DNA, the 5th great grandfather was someone well known. But again, I am not allowed to claim him, as too many white people do that. Even though I have DNA links to his other living descendants, and a direct line from his daughter. I may as well have never found out.
MARIAH
says:My father and took the 23andME DNA test. It shows that in 3.7%. What does that mean?
mamie steeds
says:hi i had my dna done it says i m 1percent native how do i find out how much that is and what tribe
Paul G
says:Look here – https://www.powwows.com/how-do-i-find-out-what-tribe-i-am-from/
Stevie Walker
says:My great grandmother on my father’s side was full Cherokee and I’m trying to learn the heritage and learn how much Cherokee is in my blood
Sydney
says:12.5%
Patricia Cole
says:I was going thru my Ancestry DNA results and i came across Chief Red Bird and it says that he is my 5th great-grandfather, does that mean that i have some Cherokee in me? Which would make me very proud.
Anna Madewell
says:hi I recently summited an Ancestry test for my DNA.the results determined I am 75% Native American. How do I go about finding out what tribe I am etc.
Paul G
says:Yes, look here – newpowwows.www.powwows.com/am-i-native
JudyAdkins
says:I
By DNA testing through 23&me and Ancestry.com I am 24.6% Native American. It seems to come from my mother’s side but was told by my paternal grandmother that she was part Cherokee and my paternal Greatgrandmother (my grandmother’s mother in law) was full blooded Blackfoot and spoke only that language. My paternal half brothers and paternal cousins do not show any Native American blood on DNA testing. Can you explain why the Native American blood is not showing up? Thanks.
Rose M. Richardson
says:Simply that you need to get YOUR Dad’s DNA ran to show the genetics that resides on the Y chromosome that you do not carry. A full blood male cousin, not a half cousin would also do the trick.
Tawana giffen
says:My great grandmother and grandfather was full-blooded Cherokee what percentage would that make me
Paul G
says:That would make your dad/mom full also. Then, if their spouse is non Native, you would be 1/2.
Moonchipv
says:I am 93% Cherokee . My dad use to talk about a reservation over in the Arizona I didn’t know a whole lot about it but I know he used to want to take us to the reservation raise us up with his tribe
I’ve been told I look a lot like the Cherokees with the dark skin and high cheekbones . I would love to get to know that part of my family something my dad always wanted my dad’s no longer around he was also very dark-skinned .