DNA reveals that ancient American lineage goes back 18,000 years

Members of the Blackfoot Confederacy have an ancient lineage that goes back 18,000 years. This means that Indigenous peoples living in the Great Plains of Montana and southern Alberta today can trace their origins to ice age predecessors.

- KRISTINA KILLGROVE

In a new DNA study, researchers investigated the genetic history of their tribes. Comprising four related tribes, the Blackfeet, Kainai, Piikani and Siksika, members of the Blackfoot Confederacy historically included nomadic bison hunters and trout fishers. Their territory was divided in the mid-19th century by the US-Canadian border, and in the late 19th century both countries’ governments forced the confederacy members to settle on reservations.