Hi again! This is my 3rd CSL homework assignment. I kind of combined the first two prompts/questions together as they were very related and I was able to integrate my responses to both together.
Thank you for taking the time to read through these. I hope they have been insightful and informative, and that you, reader, will use your newfound knowledge to change the world!
Cheers,
~S
What concepts, theories, or ideas associated with the course (or discipline) did you observe, and what links can you establish with the knowledge learned in this course?
Many of the genetics concepts we covered in this course were discussed in Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science by Kim TallBear, the book I read throughout the course of my CSL placement. I then applied some of these concepts to the genealogical research I did with the Métis Research Lab. Some of these included overviews and definitions of basic concepts such as genes, DNA, and chromosomes, that helped contextualize her book on genetics and genealogy as it relates to Indigenous identity.
In her book, TallBear discusses the main types of DNA testing done by direct-to-consumer (DTC) DNA-testing/ genealogy businesses. These include Y-DNA (Y-chromosome DNA) analysis and mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) analysis. As briefly discussed in the course lectures (and more deeply in the Module 5 videos), Y-DNA and mtDNA are good markers of patrilineage and matrilineage, respectively. This is because the Y chromosomes and mitochondria do not generally recombine a lot and are relatively unchanged in transmission to the next generation. While Y chromosomes can only be inherited by sons from their fathers, everyone inherits mtDNA from their mother, irrespective of biological sex, as a mother’s eggs contribute most of the cytoplasm when we are just starting to form as zygotes (sperm contribute very little to no cytoplasm).
As a side note, this idea reminded me of a discussion on matrilineage in Indigenous societies I had with Brenda, in which she said something along the lines of: “it makes sense for children to follow their mothers, be raised by their mother’s family… You may not know who your father is, but you always know who your mother is.” It’s super interesting to me that most Indigenous societies are traditionally matrilineal, and that children were normally raised by their mother’s family, or tribe in the case of inter-tribal unions. Women were the heads of the households, and there is strong evidence to suggest that they held political power in their societies (indicating that they were not only matrilineally organized, but matriarchal). It is because of colonization and European influence that these systems of governance were disrupted. As you will be able to see in the Dumont family kinship tree I am working on, Indigenous naming practices have been colonized and follow the patriline through surname. My documentation of mitochondrial inheritance is an attempt to re-introduce the idea of matrilineal organization of Indigenous families and societies.
Speaking of trees, I have encountered a good number of family trees during my research, which tend to resemble the countless pedigrees we went through in BIO2133. While there are many similarities between these family (or “kinship”) trees and pedigrees, there are also differences. Generally speaking, both use squares to represent males and circles for females (some kinship trees use triangles for males). In both, generations are organized in rows, with Roman numerals indicating generations and Arabic numerals indicating each individual in the generation, in the order of birth among their siblings if they have any. Deceased individuals are marked with a slash across their symbol. The main difference is that while kinship trees are meant to simply map out all the relations in a family, the purpose of a pedigree is to show the inheritance of a particular genetic trait.
One more interesting example of a link between my research and the course is the concept of “haplotypes”. This is an incredibly important concept in the field of molecular genealogy and for DTC DNA-testing companies. Haplotypes are examples of “polymorphisms”, which we learned about in this course as a form of DNA variation. Gene polymorphisms are when a particular gene in a population is known to have more than one allele that exists at a given locus. Haplotypes are polymorphisms that tend to be inherited together over several generations. The recurrence of certain haplotypes (either combinations of alleles or sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms – or SNPs) is used by most commercial DNA tests to determine one’s ancestry many, many, many generations ago. They compare haplotypes to other people in their databases to deduce the most likely geographical location of one’s ancestors, and possibly even find distant relatives.
What skills or abilities associated with the course (or discipline) did you use and what was the result?
Here are some of the course learning outcomes (core competencies) that I think I developed most through my CSL placement:
Discuss contemporary social and ethical issues related to the biomedical sciences, and situate theories discussed in class in relevant, “real-world” practical situations. This is a big one. As discussed in previous homework assignments, the “raison d’être” of this CSL project is the inequities that I perceived towards Indigenous and other marginalized peoples in science. A lot of the ethical issues associated with genetic testing (self-determination of Indigenous peoples and their right to define their own identities) must be integrated into the biomedical sciences to address inequities in Indigenous health and research involving Indigenous peoples. The most relevant “real-world” situation to which I have applied the genetic theories and concepts I learned in class is genetic testing by DTC DNA-testing and genealogy companies as discussed above (Ancestry.ca, GeneTree, etc). I feel like now I can speak to many of these issues and practical situations with a better understanding.
Evaluate experimental evidence, formulate research questions, develop and defend logical coherent arguments. Most of the evidence I have analyzed is qualitative as opposed to quantitative, but I still developed the ability to analyze research or results with a critical lens. I will continue to develop my ability to ask compelling research questions and ensure all of my arguments are evidence-based.
Use patterns to construct a model – in my case, a pedigree showing mitochondrial inheritance. This is still a work in progress, and has proven difficult because of how large the Dumont family is, but I’m confident in my knowledge of this inheritance pattern and ability to map it out in a clear, logical way.
Demonstrate professional work habits and ethical conduct when working individually or as part of a team. I have to ensure my communication with my supervisor is professional, that I do not abuse the privilege of working in the Métis Research Lab, and that I am respectful towards others in the work environment. This CSL placement was my first research experience, and I'm sure I will develop this skill as I gain more practice in the field.
Fully engage in the learning opportunities offered in the course AND to honestly complete work by scheduled due dates. I’ve completed all of my assignments on time, most well before the due date. I feel much more organized when I start working on and finish assignments ahead of time. I’ve also taken the initiative to write more blog posts than simply the required CSL homework to document my work, which also helps with organizing my ideas when writing the homework assignments.
Explain genetics concepts to different audiences. This is a skill I have only used briefly when discussing my project with peers or scholars at the university, but after reading Native American DNA, I have a really good idea of how to discuss genetic concepts to a largely non-scientific audience, as TallBear does with her book.