By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
Dave Robison, president of the Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society, Inc., knows a thing or two about tracing your family history.
As owner of Old Bones Genealogy of New England, he does individual research for clients, and hosts various genealogy training sessions throughout New England.
With the rising interest in DNA testing and its implications for tracing an individual’s family tree, Prime reached out to Robison for advice on how these new tests are changing the genealogy field, and how best to use them to begin exploring your personal history.
Here’s what Robison shared with us:
Q: It seems to be a hot holiday gift – kits from services like 23 and Me that test DNA to uncover ethnic origins. Have you seen these tests also spark an interest in family genealogy?
“It’s a hand-in-hand situation [in cases] where genealogy has already been a hot interest, and there are many people who are now gaining an interest in learning about their families and backgrounds. There are generations of people who don’t want to talk about their backgrounds. As the Pulitzer prize-winning American historian Marcus Lee Hanson said, ‘What the son wishes to forget, the grandson wishes to remember.’
“Now with the advent of DNA testing, this new generation feels as though they may have an avenue to discover background that, until now, was previously unknown to them. But in the clamor over DNA, people incorrectly believe that DNA can be the panacea of their heritage –‘All I have to do is get the DNA test and wait for the letter to arrive’ – but DNA testing doesn’t do the research for you.
“What [DNA testing] does do is, it asks more questions than it answers, and it can open a much more broader quest for answers.”
Q: For those who just got their DNA profile back, what are the next steps to exploring your personal family history?
“The first question is ‘What was the purpose of taking the DNA test?’ If it was looking for possible cousins or looking for building a family tree or verifying information, there are certain tests that would do that. Other people are interested in geographical origins – ‘We were always told we were from Russia’ – and other tests are more toward ethnic origins – English or German or Native American, then there are tests that trace your DNA back thousands of years.
“Independently, a DNA test is limited in what information it can offer you until you enter into a network of other people, some who may have done research on the area you are interested in.
“Ancestry.com, for example, does a DNA test that is called autosomal DNA or atDNA – which traces your DNA back a half-dozen generations. If you’ve done your test with Ancestry, you will get a myriad of reports that list people you may be genetically connected with. Some of these people may have elected to remain anonymous; others may be open to having you contact them through Ancestry.
Q: How far can you go with DNA testing in uncovering your personal family history?
“With most of the companies that do autosomal DNA testing, you can probably go back five or six generations with decreasing certainty the deeper you go. If you connect with someone [through the testing network] who is related to you, and they have done quality, documented research, they may have data that will help you add to that branch of your family tree.
“When doing research, remember that allegory – family stories and lore – are not research. You need military records, pensions, deeds, marriage certificates, etc. Good research involves good citations. If you can verify the things you’ve done, it can point you in the right direction.
“With the popularity of DNA research, there are DNA interest groups popping up all over Western Massachusetts. The Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society will have information on their DNA research group, which will be announced online soon. Look for the DDG’ tab for DNA Discussion Group on our website. Please use “westmassgen.com” (This will take you to our main domain, westmagenealogy.com.)
