My mother says her great grandmother (my great-great) was 100% American Indian (Iroquois).
However, when searching on ancestry.com, the census record from 1900 shows said great grandmother as “white.”
Now, my mom says she remembers her vividly, but I question (not to her face) if it’s just a story and my mom misremembers...or maybe she was really white but “looked Indian”...or perhaps, she “passed” as white back then in rural West Virginia but was actually American Indian.
The MINGO served as the great resource in the background for the Confederation IRIQUOIS who had created a warrior elite and advanced form of government and laws.
For the most part if you lived out among the broad masses of MINGO and grew up over 6 feet tall you'd probably get recruited whether you wanted to be or not.
Life was tough in the good old days!
The Iroquois have a large percentage of the X-factor, a genetic sequence found only in the Sa'ami and Berber people. The Cherokee also have a large percentage of the X-factor, as do the Chippewa/Ojibwa (who actually have the most). You find individuals of nearly pure Indian ancestry in these tribes who look more or less "white". It is believed that the ancestors of these people came directly from Western Europe about 15,000 years ago ~ maybe even before that.
So, yes, your great great grandmother, an Iroquois Indian, could look white. Because of Iroquois adoption practices she could have actually had white ancestors. On the other hand lots of Iroquois can pass for Chinese ~ rather large Chinese, but Chinese nonetheless.
American Indians are, to a greater degree than has hitherto been appreciated, a mixed bag of all the races on Earth ~ as are we all!
The genes don't lie.
Indian great-grandmother who passed as white ... I wondered about DH’s great grandmother, too. When I first saw their photo I asked what tribe she was from. But no one knows for sure.