About us
Mitochondrial DNA testing can differentiate European lineage from that originating in the New World. A simple test will tell if ONE of your lines of female ancestry stems from an Acadian Métis Mother. This test only reveals one unbroken female-only line (the bottom part of your pedigree chart). The mtDNA test will show the Haplogroup, and thus continent of origin, of your mother's mother's mother's mother, etc. No male can be in this female-only descendance. Men, however, also carry their mother's mtDNA, just cannot pass it on, so can also have the test. Métis or 'mixed' European-Amerindian individuals were not unknown in early Acadia (mainly present-day Nova Scotia), the result of liaisons of the French explorers and early colonials, fishermen and trappers, with the 'first nation' residents. Many of these métis, women especially, married into the Acadian community and became mothers of some Acadian families. You may choose either the simple HVR-1 test, or opt for the more revealing mtDNA Plus test, which give the numbers for HVR-2 differences as well. Remember, you may have a great deal of Amerindian or Acadian ancestry, but this test will only reveal the one line. If you are uncertain about your lineage, matching with others already tested may show you links more sure than paper trails ever can.