NMGS DNA Project
The New Mexico Genealogical Society's DNA Project is hosted by FamilyTreeDNA and brings together researchers exploring the deep ancestral history of New Mexico. We use Y-DNA and mtDNA to study shared ancestry, lineage patterns, and historical connections across the many communities who shaped this region. Our project focuses on the families, migrations, and historical patterns connected to New Mexico.
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Y‑DNA traces the direct paternal line, from a tester to their father, grandfather, and further up the male line. mtDNA traces the direct maternal line, from a tester to their mother, grandmother, and further up the female line. These two tests allow us to study deep lineage patterns that autosomal DNA alone cannot reveal.
The NMGS DNA Project is part of the FamilyTreeDNA Group Project system, a volunteer‑run community where people explore their ancestry through DNA results and genealogy. Group Projects are free to join, and anyone who has tested with FamilyTreeDNA, manages a kit, or has transferred results into the FTDNA database is welcome.
FamilyTreeDNA describes Group Projects as “communities for people who are interested in pursuing information about a specific topic related to their genealogy,” and notes that administrators are volunteers who “facilitate their Group Project members’ research using DNA test results.”
New Mexico's Deep History
New Mexico's ancestral, cultural, and historical story begins long before Spanish settlement. The ancestral homelands of the Pueblo people, the Apache bands, and the Diné form the foundation of this region's history, alongside the Jumano, Kiowa, Pawnee, Ute, and other Nations whose histories are woven into New Mexico's past. Many New Mexicans today carry genetic links to these first Native People, and our project welcomes members who wish to explore those connections with care and respect.
It cannot be emphasized enough: while DNA can help illuminate historical patterns, it cannot determine tribal identity, cultural belonging, or political citizenship. Those forms of identity are defined by sovereign Tribal Nations and lived community relationships.
Later waves of settlement, including the 1598 Oñate entrada, the Reconquest, the Mexican period, and the Territorial era, brought additional families whose descendants remain here today.
Some genealogies have deep paper trails; others encounter roadblocks or gaps. DNA can provide additional context for understanding these gaps in ancestral lines and, in many cases, help break through long-standing adobe walls in the documentary record.
Lineage Form is Now Optional
Members may provide a matrilineal or patrilineal lineage form, if they wish, but it is not required to join.
Occasionally, administrators may conduct deeper lineage review when it supports a specific research question, community, or surname study. This is done only when needed and only with information members choose to provide. The lineage form is available on the NMGS DNA Project website.
How We Use DNA Results
We do offer DNA analysis, but only the kind that FamilyTreeDNA permits. FTDNA allows administrators to organize member results into subgroups to help members “see how they fit into the project.”
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Community-level comparison
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Haplogroup cluster analysis
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Surname and lineage pattern studies
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Historical research related to New Mexico families
We do not provide personal DNA interpretation, medical guidance, or individual genetic conclusions. Our work is about understanding shared ancestry and regional patterns that make up the broader story of New Mexico.
Our Commitment
We aim to create a respectful, collaborative space where DNA results and optional genealogical information help illuminate New Mexico's diverse ancestral story. Every member contributes to a broader understanding of our shared history.
Privacy & Consent
The NMGS DNA Project operates under FamilyTreeDNA's Group Project Administrator Terms & Policies and Privacy Statement, which govern how member data is accessed, protected, and shared. NMGS administrators are bound by these policies in full. Members control their own privacy settings and may join or leave the project at any time through their FamilyTreeDNA account.
ADMINISTRATORS
Daria C. Landress, Chair
Henrietta M. Christmas
Miguel A. Tórrez