BPL Southern History Department Celebrating Native American Heritage Month.

November is Native American Heritage Month, a time set aside to celebrate the culture and history of Native Americans in the United States.

The Birmingham Public Library Southern History Department's celebration of Native American Heritage Month kicked off with a Native American Genealogy program today, Wednesday, November 13, in the Central Library. Map Conservator Paul Boncella shared tips on how people of Native American heritage can do to research on genealogy and how to maneuver the ancestral link to the Five Civilized Tribes.

From noon to 1:00 p.m. next Wednesday, November 20, the Southern History Department will host a program called "DNA Testing for Native Americans." The class  includes both an in person and online Zoom option. This free workshop will take place in the BPL Research Library 4th Floor Computer Lab.

DNA ethnicity testing may seem a simple and efficient way to identify your ancestral connection to the native peoples of the Americas, but do you know the full range of tests that exist and the types of insights that they offer? In this workshop,  Boncella examines the current state of the science, lists the possibilities for Native American ethnicity testing, and explains what the various products actually deliver and why Native American ethnicity may not be reported in test results. 

Hope you can join us. Remember, registration is required for online attendance only.

By Roy L. Williams, PR Director|Birmingham Public Library 

Paul Boncella, Map Conservator for BPL's Southern History Department.