Genetics And Indigenous History News

"Uncovering the Origins of North America's Blackfoot Confederacy"

A genetic study tracing the lineage of North America's native Blackfoot Confederacy, published in Science Advances, found that modern Blackfoot people are descendants of a lineage dating back approximately 18,000 years, supporting their historical presence in North America. The research also provides evidence of a major lineage split among people who migrated to North America 18,000 years ago, giving rise to present-day Indigenous people in North, Central, and South America, bolstering the Blackfoot Confederacy's claims to ancestral land.