🌍 Retracing My Roots: Part 1_C. The Whispers of My Bloodline – Honoring the 1%

When I first saw the smaller percentages in my DNA results—1% here, less than 1% there—I almost dismissed them. But then I remembered: DNA holds memory. Even the smallest trace carries a story, an echo of those who came before me.

These numbers are not random. They are whispers. And whispers matter.

🌿 Indigenous Americas – North (1%)

To see Indigenous ancestry, even in a small percentage, felt sacred. It reminded me of the deep connection between land, people, and spirit. Indigenous traditions across the Americas are rooted in holistic living—respect for the land, sustainable food practices, and healing through plants, ceremony, and balance with creation.

That same reverence for land and nature flows through my work today. It affirms that my call to holistic wellness, gardening, and environmental balance is not just passion—it’s heritage.

🌿 Wales (1%)

Wales carries its own story, marked by resilience and cultural survival. For centuries, the Welsh people fought to preserve their language, land, and traditions against assimilation.

When I think of Wales in my bloodline, I hear a reminder: do not lose your voice, even when the world tries to silence it.

That lesson echoes in my leadership as a holistic nurse and advocate. My work is about preserving voices, traditions, and healing practices that mainstream systems often overlook.

🌿 Portugal (1%)

Portugal’s presence is more complicated. It ties to colonization and the transatlantic slave trade—histories of both connection and exploitation. While painful, acknowledging this piece of my DNA allows me to name the truth: my existence carries survival through trauma.

And yet, even here, I find restoration. By reclaiming wellness practices from my African roots, I resist the erasure that colonization tried to impose.

🌿 Khoisan, Aka & Mbuti Peoples (<1%)

This was perhaps the most humbling discovery. The Khoisan, Aka, and Mbuti represent some of the oldest known human lineages. Their ways of life, rooted in harmony with the land, plant medicine, and communal survival, remind me that healing has always been tied to the earth.

Even less than 1% feels like a divine thread, linking me back to the beginning of human history, whispering: Remember where you come from. Remember the land. Remember the balance.

✨ Why the Whispers Matter

These small percentages may not dominate my DNA chart, but they dominate my reflection.

They remind me that:

• Every ancestor counts. No percentage is too small to honor.

• Heritage is layered. My story is a tapestry woven from Africa, Europe, the Americas, and beyond.

• Balance is holistic. Healing comes from acknowledging all of my roots—both the majority and the whispers.

This journey has taught me that even the faintest traces of ancestry can guide us toward restoration, identity, and purpose.

Because in the end, whether 36% or 1%, the truth remains: It’s All Connected. 🌿

💬 Call to Reflection

I invite you to reflect on your own “whispers.” Have you ever discovered a small ancestry percentage that surprised you? What story might it carry? How might it connect to the way you live, heal, or lead today?

Share your thoughts in the comments below—let’s honor the whispers together.