[serpentor]

I'm complaining about his beating around the bush, not a reading comprehension thing. I like to know where the author stands on the topic at the outset, otherwise the article feels dishonest.

For example:

  I think there are a lot of people lying to 
  themselves and others about their own 
  ancestry.

Compared to:

  Isn't it interesting that so many people feel 
  compelled to form opinions about how we might 
  notice that there are statistical variances,
  when comparing observable heritage, as 
  compared to reported heritage? I wonder why 
  that would be? Some might say these are 
  alleged fabrications, but then again this 
  could all be very innocent.

[lobster_johnson]

But that's clearly inferred by this:

    In the United States alone, the Cherokee Nation of
    Oklahoma estimates there are over 200 fraudulent
    groups claiming to be Cherokee. Visit websites
    devoted to genealogy, and one will find scores of
    Americans expressing their disappointment when DNA
    testing contradicts family legnds about great,
    great grandma being Cherokee.

So, first of all, there are groups that outright make fraudulent claims about Cherokee ancestry. Secondly, there are lots of people who have believed — and claimed — to be descendants of Cherokee who discover that they have in fact been mislead.

You could argue that he doesn't provide the evidence (who are these 200 groups, and where do we find these "scores of Americans expressing their disappointment"?), but that's par for the course in a fluffy article like this. I don't see any bushes being beaten around, however.