If Native Americans are of Asian descent, why does the Cherokee not look Asian?

Question

I've heard Native Americans are of Asian descent, but the Cherokee do not look Asian, then that means the Cherokee Indians are not of Asian descent, right?

Answer 1

I had heard this theory...and the attendant DNA findings...indicating some European ancestry among the Aniishinaabe (aka Ojibwe, Ojibway, Chippewa...same nation.) and until yesterday had given no thought to the fact that the Aniishinaabe and Cherokee are both closely connected through Iriquoian relatedness. That brings it closer to home, having Cherokee ancestry on my family tree's maternal side...it seems likely it is a "Both/And" rather than an either/or.

I am proud that some of my people were here before the big boats...but if some of my ancestors also trailblazed all the way west from Europe along the sotherly Seashore edge of the last Ice Age's ice packs...that would be something to enjoy being connected with also.

As it is, learning to speak, read, and write Tsalagi....whether the language grew out of ancient Asian, European....or an even more ancient Turtle Island human origin much older than "Lucy"...is plenty exciting...and work enough without troubling too much which continent my ancestors came from 16,000-20,000 years ago. Of all my many ancestries, the group whose traditions I most want to revive in my family is the Tsalagi...especially because of, and for..the basics of  common-sense relatedness with the rest of Nature, and principles of  Balance and the Sacredness of our connection with all of Earth's species...as well as the beings from all the Galaxy*...instead of worshipping a separation from Nature.

Scots, Irish, and "Scots/Irish"...hadn't really had that Pagan instinct terrorized out of them, even though they were usually very Catholic, their traditions still had connection to the Fey....they weren't even considered "white" by many British authorities...so it makes plenty of sense that they married in more easily than did some Anglo-Euro groups, with the Tsalagi.

It will be interesting as DNA studies become further refined to be better able to create maps of how, who, when, and where we all were, and how the many peoples have travelled and lived. The more info we have, the more interesting and layered, funny and complex...and ultimately human...our stories tend to become.

 

* Belief that humans are alone in the Universe is akin to the Church's viciously defended belief that the Solar System revolved around the Earth...those who presented proof were terrorized or killed...even Galileo backed down from the truth to save his own life...most indigenous or aboriginal cultures have a belief that Life is all around us in many forms, not just where we are!