MyHeritage DNA Results | ANCESTRY | Nigerian and...?

As a storyteller, I have a deep fascination with history, memory and family sagas. I've been on a recent quest to create my family tree and to see how far back I can go in tracing the steps and stories of my distant relatives. By interviewing older members of my family, I have already uncovered a myriad of exciting facts and anecdotes. Like a bright-eyed young student, my thirst for knowledge is insatiable.

When I first heard about the DNA tests you can take to discover more about your genealogy, my first thought wasn't about the potential dangers of sending off such sensitive data to some random company. As I type this now, I get a little passing chill. Who's to say our world isn't heading down a very Black Mirror path? But the chill quickly dissipates to a shrug of indifference. Que sera sera.
No, the suspicion and skepticism did not immediately spring to mind. Ever the idealist, I couldn't wait to try it out; to dig deeper into the rabbit hole of my current mission.

Before receiving my results, I made a few predictions. I guessed that I'd probably end up being 95% Nigerian, 3% Ghanaian and 2% some mix of other West African identities. Well...give the video a watch to see how far off I was.

Now that I have this new information, my research has become more nuanced and I am able to refine the questions posed.

Time will tell how far back I can trace, but one thing I know for sure is that it is vital for us to tell our own stories; to understand and take pride in where we've come from; to capture our history in concrete and intentional ways that will inspire generations to come.

Regular foodie content will resume next week. Until then, stay happy!