I just ran my raw DNA results through the latest GED match tool. Here are the results:
According to this, my DNA is about 44% from the Levant (ancient Hebrew/Jewish?), 35% Southern European (Mediterranean) and about 18% Northeast European (native DNA from where my family recently lived before migrating to the US). Hence, my results are fairly typical for an Ashkenazi Jew.
How does this compare with other long-stateless ethnicities and indigenous groups? Most such groups have 80%-90% native ancestry. North American Native Americans tend to have less – and their percentages are often comparable to the “native” ancestry of European Jews. They are still considered “Native American.” Some tribes have blood quantum requirements. From Grok:
1/2 (50%) or higher
- Northern Ute Tribe: 5/8
- Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida: 1/2
- Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians: 1/2
- St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin: 1/2
- White Mountain Apache Tribe: 1/2
- Kialegee Tribal Town: 1/2
- Yomba Shoshone Tribe: 1/2
1/4 (25%) (most common level)
- Navajo Nation
- Blackfeet Tribe
- Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes
- Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
- Oneida Nation (Wisconsin)
- Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma
- Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
- Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
- Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
- United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians
- Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes
- Pascua Yaqui Tribe
- Shoshone Tribe of the Wind River Reservation
1/8 (12.5%)
- Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
- Comanche Nation
- Delaware Nation
- Fort Sill Apache Tribe
- Karuk Tribe
- Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
- Otoe-Missouria Tribe
- Pawnee Nation
- Ponca Nation
- Sac and Fox Nation (Oklahoma; some bands)
1/16 (6.25%)
- Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
- Caddo Nation
- Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma
- Some Confederated tribes (e.g., Grand Ronde, Siletz in certain contexts)
I’ll point out the obvious: Once mixed-race people become “members” of a tribe, it’s a downward spiral for such requirements. If the requirement is too high, then the tribe becomes extinct. Once mixed people have a say in membership, obviously, they will vote for inclusion. At some point, a group of people is a “tribe” in name only – especially when they don’t speak the native language, practice the native religion in its original form, dress traditionally or organically observe tribal traditions – and when I say “organically,” I mean in a way that was actually passed down naturally from generation to generation.
I realize that I’m being arbitrary here, but my opinion is that if there’s a population of organically observant tribal members, then individuals (of that heritage) can learn from them and reclaim full membership in the tribe in that respect. Estranged tribal members can reclaim their heritage in this way as long as they have a minimum blood quantum (set by full-blooded members). This is what would make sense for me.
As for Jews, intermarriage is at very high levels. Judaism (in various forms) is fashionable enough that all sorts of people want to convert. Sometimes, becoming a convert can have real benefits, especially in the State of Israel. Hence, our average ancient Jewish DNA levels are certainly falling.
At what point does being a Jew become strictly a matter of religion, without any tribal/ethnic connotations? It’s now a cliche that converts are “just as Jewish” as somebody who was born Jewish – but this attitude is relatively new. Like the Native American tribe whose mixed members lobby for inclusion, so too did mixed Jews lobby for inclusion. Not explicitly but through a gradual and insidious metamorphosis of the Jewish people from a tribe to a religious club. In the Medieval work, The Kuzari, by Yehudah haLewi (12th century Spain) it’s explained, in a very matter-of-fact way, that converts to Judaism never attain the same status as ethnic Jews. HaLewi is not a recognized authority on Jewish law, and every rabbi you ask will tell you that Jewish law does not reflect his opinion.
This is not a matter of Jewish law; it’s a matter of attitudes. Clearly, in those days it was accepted that a convert can never attain the same status as an ethnic Jew. In practical terms, this only means that a member of the priestly caste (a Cohen) is not allowed to marry a convert. Other than that, it’s only a matter of attitude (as far as I know).
The concept of a Jewish tribe, independant of the religion, has lost favor in recent decades – corresponding with the rise in intermarriage. It’s unclear whether the existence of the State of Israel is helpful in the long run or not; intermarriage is a problem even there.
Right now, I’m at the lower end for native Jewish blood (at 44% or so). If I live long enough, I might end up at the higher end. When the average, for European Jews, sinks to 20% will we still be a people? What about 10%? For the State of Israel, this question holds some importance because it helps link us to the land of Israel. If our Jewishness were only a matter of religion, and we had next to no ancient Levantine ancestry, our claim to the land would be tenuous indeed. The average Ashkenazi is around 50% Levantine in ancestry. The average Muslim Palestinian appears to be around 80%. On the basis of DNA alone, it looks like Palestinians have a greater claim to the land. However, Palestinian culture (language and religion) is explicitly that of conquerors from abroad; it’s a colonial culture. Jews, on the other hand, have a core culture (adulterated, to be sure) that is indigenous to the land. This is not a simple matter.
For some of us (very few) this question is important for another reason: At stake is the very existence of our ancient tribe. We don’t want it to disappear – though in time it must. Nothing lasts forever.
