Middle Eastern Roots: Matching Genealogical Research with Our DNA

By now, Americans are getting a sense of  Middle Eastern politics after colonial powers created new nations in the early 1900s. Plenty of Americans, including this one, were opposed to the desert wars and still are. For good reasons. As are many Europeans. Enough with Colonialism. The answer to whether the desert people wanted to be like Europeans is found in their resistance both yesterday and today. There are many cultures, many different languages and religions and they did not and still don’t mix it up. They stayed within their own communities and to a good extent, still do. Although the movie, “Queen of the Desert,” starring Nicole Kidman, was a Hollywood style movie, her portrayal of Gertrude Bell and her exploration of the Middle East, allowed the viewer to see a hint of the diversity that existed before the first world war. That diversity still exists. Western civilization’s roots are in the Middle East. Those of us who love genealogy are having fun matching our research with the findings of our DNA tests. Especially Gedmatch and their “calculators.”

Suellen Ocean is the author ofSecret Genealogy II – The Jewish Roots of Our Christian Ancestors. Available here:

The Shady Characters of Manhattan

It was in 1626 when Native Americans granted the Dutch the right to cut trees on Manhattan Island. Manhates it was called back then. The Native Americans had no comprehension of “owning” land. They were probably “sharing” or “trading” the timber for something with the Dutch, particularly the West India Company and the Dutch Navy who built masts for their ships. Imagine, Manhattan thick with oak, pine and nut groves. The Dutch India Company put their slaves to work logging this beautiful forest, alongside the Dutch settlers who needed homes and barns. Later, in 1856 the city of Manhattan bought 843 acres of land to make a park. Today it’s known as Central Park. With all that goes on in that world-famous city, having a forested refuge has probably saved many from the brink of insanity. In the spring of 1863 someone let 14 European sparrows loose in the park and it’s believed that their descendants still reside in the park’s trees. I understand you can run across some shady characters in the park and that one needs to be cautious. It’s always been that way. In 1856 when the city bought the land, it was reported as “filthy, squalid and disgusting… its inhabitants… engaged in occupations which are nuisances in the eyes of the law and forbidden to be carried on so near the city.” So in 1857 the city destroyed 300 dwellings and several factories and hog-feeding establishments. But then again, looking back on history we see that the Indians probably didn’t “sell” Manhates to the Dutch. And two hundred years later, it was probably just poor hog farmers, trying to make a buck, who didn’t stand a chance against developers. Suellen Ocean is the author of the historical series, The Lion’s Trace Available here:

The Lies of the Lion (Book 1)

http://www.amazon.com/Lies-Lion-Lions-Trace/dp/0965114074

The Guild (Book 2)

http://www.amazon.com/Guild-Hesters-Goodwill-Lions-Trace/dp/1484916697

The Last Quadroon (Book 3)

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Quadroon-Lions-Trace-Volume/dp/149283999X

eBooks and computer downloads available through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ocean