Academic
The African Kinship Reunion Repository connects individuals of African descent to their ancestors using genetic genealogy. By combining genetic data with historical research, the repository helps participants trace their familial roots. This reconnection of participants from the diaspora to individuals from Africa is crucial for understanding the historical impact of slavery on African and African diasporic communities. This section will provide an overview of the project to help you better understand its purpose and how it works.
What is Genetic Genealogy?
Genetic genealogy is a powerful tool that combines DNA test results and traditional genealogical research methods to identify biological relationships between individuals (Tomoko, 2011). For individuals of African descent, genetic genealogy plays a crucial role in reconnecting with their ancestral roots.
The increasing availability of consumer genetic tests has opened up new opportunities for African Americans to connect with living relatives in Africa through autosomal tests. The African Kinship Repository serves as an invaluable platform, helping participants locate their relatives in Africa by providing them with an inferred tree where they can review and verify their matches to initiate engagement with their relatives. This repository is dedicated to providing participants with the opportunity to establish meaningful connections with their relatives.
Tomoko, S. Y. (2011, June 11). Research guides: Genetic genealogy: DNA and Family history: Introduction. Introduction - Genetic Genealogy: DNA and Family History - Research Guides at Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/genetic-genealogy
Go To ArticleHow are connection made?
The African Kinship Reunion Repository utilizes DNA test results to establish connections between participants in the database. This is achieved through an advanced algorithm that compares shared segments of DNA to create an inferred tree of relatives who share a common ancestor.
How It Starts: Saliva and/or DNA results from other Direct-to-consumer companies are submitted to the repository for analysis by the algorithm, which identifies a shared common ancestor to estimate the relationship and relationship type.
What’s provided: The repository furnishes an inferred tree and the demographic histories of all matched relatives, allowing participants to precisely see whom they are connecting with.
Combination of Uploaded DNA Profile and Saliva Sample: In some cases, you may upload your existing DNA profile, and based on the results, we may invite you to provide a saliva sample for additional q testing. In this scenario, we will follow the same process outlined in the “Prequalified Participants” section above.
Why Emphasize individuals with African Descent?
The African Kinship Reunion Repository aims to assist participants of African descent in reconnecting with their ancestors. Traditional genealogy methods are often inadequate in serving people of African descent due to the disruption of slavery. African Americans can now use genetic genealogy to bridge the gap between historical records and genetics, helping to uncover and identify relationships. Through this repository, participants are encouraged to piece together their family stories and find lost or unexpected relatives. Genetic genealogy can play a crucial role in this process that TAKiR is dedicated to facilitating and supporting.