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Ancestry refers to the lineage or descent of a person, family, or group, tracing back through generations to identify their origins, heritage, and familial connections. It encompasses the genetic, cultural, and historical ties that link individuals to their forebears, shaping their identity and sense of belonging. Ancestry is a multifaceted concept, intertwining biology, genealogy, history, and culture, and it plays a significant role in how people understand themselves and their place in the world.

At its core, ancestry is rooted in genetics. Each individual inherits a unique combination of DNA from their parents, who in turn inherited their DNA from their own ancestors. This genetic material carries information about physical traits, predispositions to certain health conditions, and even behavioral tendencies. Advances in genetic testing, such as DNA analysis, have made it possible for individuals to trace their biological ancestry with remarkable precision. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA offer services that analyze genetic markers to provide insights into a person's ethnic composition and geographic origins, often revealing surprising connections to distant relatives or previously unknown heritage.

Beyond genetics, ancestry is deeply tied to genealogy, the study of family history and lineage. Genealogical research involves constructing family trees, documenting relationships, and uncovering historical records such as birth certificates, marriage licenses, census data, and immigration documents. This process often reveals stories of migration, resilience, and adaptation, offering a window into the lives of ancestors and the challenges they faced. For many, genealogy is a way to honor their forebears and preserve their legacy for future generations.

Cultural ancestry is another critical dimension, encompassing the traditions, languages, customs, and values passed down through generations. It connects individuals to their ethnic or national heritage, shaping their cultural identity and worldview. For example, someone with Irish ancestry might celebrate St. Patrick's Day, learn traditional Irish dance, or explore the Gaelic language, while someone with Japanese ancestry might practice tea ceremonies, study calligraphy, or observe Obon festivals. Cultural ancestry fosters a sense of continuity and belonging, linking individuals to a broader community with shared experiences and values.

Historical ancestry delves into the broader context of a family's or group's past, including significant events, social conditions, and historical movements that shaped their lives. For instance, the transatlantic slave trade, the Irish Potato Famine, or the Jewish diaspora have profoundly influenced the ancestry of millions of people, leaving lasting imprints on their descendants' identities. Understanding historical ancestry often involves grappling with complex narratives of triumph and tragedy, resilience and oppression, and the interplay of individual and collective experiences.

Ancestry also has a deeply personal and emotional dimension. For many, exploring their ancestry is a journey of self-discovery, offering insights into who they are and where they come from. It can foster a sense of pride, connection, and continuity, as well as a deeper appreciation for the struggles and achievements of those who came before. At the same time, it can raise questions about identity, belonging, and the complexities of heritage, particularly for individuals with mixed or multicultural backgrounds.

In a globalized world, ancestry serves as a bridge between the past and the present, connecting individuals to their roots while also highlighting the interconnectedness of human history. It underscores the diversity and richness of human experience, reminding us that every person's story is part of a larger tapestry woven over centuries. Whether through genetic testing, genealogical research, cultural practices, or historical exploration, ancestry offers a profound way to understand ourselves and our place in the world.

A diversification score measures the diversity of ancestries in the county. As the value appoaches 100, ancestry diversity decreases and therefore increasing the risk of a lack of cultural diversity. The ancestry diversification score for this county is:

Most common ancestry not including "Unknown" is:

Ancestry Report Part I
Description	Total Population	American	Native American	Hawaiian	Caribbean (Latino)	Mexican	Central American	South American	Other Hispanic	African American	Sub- Saharan	Caribbean (Black)

Daniels County	1,585	128	31	0	0	9	27	0	0	2	0	0
Montana (in 000's)	1,143	50	63	1	4	36	2	3	4	3	1	1
National (in 000's)	343,251	13,890	2,213	626	11,327	38,879	6,181	4,644	3,687	25,893	7,852	7,174
Roosevelt County	10,157	198	5,687	0	3	174	19	10	41	20	1	1
Valley County	7,503	658	636	0	11	123	0	19	24	25	4	2
Sheridan County	3,384	177	54	0	0	122	0	1	3	2	0	4

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Daniels County	13.90	8.08	1.96	0.00	0.00	0.57	1.70	0.00	0.00	0.13	0.00	0.00
Montana	11.06	4.34	5.50	0.07	0.39	3.14	0.14	0.27	0.33	0.28	0.11	0.07
National	7.83	4.05	0.64	0.18	3.30	11.33	1.80	1.35	1.07	7.54	2.29	2.09
Roosevelt County	35.53	1.95	55.99	0.00	0.03	1.71	0.19	0.10	0.40	0.20	0.01	0.01
Valley County	12.78	8.77	8.48	0.00	0.15	1.64	0.00	0.25	0.32	0.33	0.05	0.03
Sheridan County	15.60	5.23	1.60	0.00	0.00	3.61	0.00	0.03	0.09	0.06	0.00	0.12

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		185.91	35.53	0.00	0.00	18.07	1,243.01	0.00	0.00	45.06	0.00	0.00
Montana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		93.16	11.71	253.99	847.57	360.52	1,314.03	504.24	320.71	2,693.75	2,034.20	2,992.90
Roosevelt County		44.88	1,017.21	0.00	7.59	54.53	136.50	36.69	120.53	70.31	8.76	14.10
Valley County		201.89	154.00	0.00	37.66	52.18	0.00	94.38	95.51	118.98	47.41	38.17
Sheridan County		120.41	28.99	0.00	0.00	114.75	0.00	11.01	26.47	21.10	0.00	169.26

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		199.56	303.33	0.00	0.00	5.01	94.60	0.00	0.00	1.67	0.00	0.00
Montana		107.35	853.67	39.37	11.80	27.74	7.61	19.83	31.18	3.71	4.92	3.34
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Roosevelt County		48.17	8,683.60	0.00	0.90	15.12	10.39	7.28	37.58	2.61	0.43	0.47
Valley County		216.72	1,314.63	0.00	4.44	14.47	0.00	18.72	29.78	4.42	2.33	1.28
Sheridan County		129.25	247.48	0.00	0.00	31.83	0.00	2.18	8.25	0.78	0.00	5.66

Ancestry Report Part II
Description	Total Population	Canadian	British	Dutch	French	German	Italian	Polish	Scandinavian	Scotish/ Irish	Spanish	Other European

Daniels County	1,585	6	89	11	48	225	6	6	413	164	0	78
Montana (in 000's)	1,143	6	95	13	21	177	23	12	104	120	6	44
National (in 000's)	343,251	1,350	18,069	1,828	3,642	24,708	9,027	4,667	5,969	20,625	1,140	9,563
Roosevelt County	10,157	18	112	15	32	412	15	23	521	159	0	105
Valley County	7,503	50	287	51	102	1,132	83	65	1,360	477	17	170
Sheridan County	3,384	11	151	14	37	474	46	49	850	194	2	98

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Daniels County	13.90	0.38	5.62	0.69	3.03	14.20	0.38	0.38	26.06	10.35	0.00	4.92
Montana	11.06	0.52	8.30	1.13	1.81	15.52	2.02	1.04	9.10	10.50	0.50	3.82
National	7.83	0.39	5.26	0.53	1.06	7.20	2.63	1.36	1.74	6.01	0.33	2.79
Roosevelt County	35.53	0.18	1.10	0.15	0.32	4.06	0.15	0.23	5.13	1.57	0.00	1.03
Valley County	12.78	0.67	3.83	0.68	1.36	15.09	1.11	0.87	18.13	6.36	0.23	2.27
Sheridan County	15.60	0.33	4.46	0.41	1.09	14.01	1.36	1.45	25.12	5.73	0.06	2.90

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		72.61	67.63	61.54	167.53	91.47	18.71	36.47	286.22	98.52	0.00	128.92
Montana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		75.45	63.40	47.23	58.69	46.38	130.01	130.97	19.10	57.21	66.76	72.99
Roosevelt County		33.99	13.28	13.10	17.43	26.14	7.30	21.81	56.34	14.90	0.00	27.08
Valley County		127.83	46.07	60.28	75.21	97.22	54.69	83.45	199.11	60.53	45.53	59.36
Sheridan County		62.35	53.74	36.69	60.49	90.26	67.20	139.49	275.91	54.58	11.88	75.87

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		96.24	106.67	130.32	285.44	197.21	14.39	27.84	1,498.51	172.20	0.00	176.63
Montana		132.53	157.73	211.75	170.38	215.60	76.92	76.35	523.55	174.80	149.79	137.01
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Roosevelt County		45.05	20.95	27.73	29.69	56.35	5.62	16.66	294.99	26.05	0.00	37.10
Valley County		169.42	72.67	127.64	128.13	209.60	42.06	63.72	1,042.42	105.80	68.21	81.32
Sheridan County		82.64	84.77	77.68	103.05	194.59	51.69	106.50	1,444.53	95.41	17.79	103.94

Ancestry Report Part III
Description	Total Population	Chinese	Filipino	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	South Central Asian	South East Asian	Other Asian	Middle Eastern	Other Ancestry	Unknown

Daniels County	1,585	2	0	0	8	0	0	2	0	0	88	242
Montana (in 000's)	1,143	2	2	1	1	0	1	1	1	2	108	237
National (in 000's)	343,251	4,461	3,010	793	1,541	1,913	5,452	1,643	1,229	1,931	47,322	51,000
Roosevelt County	10,157	11	44	3	2	0	0	1	2	6	1,792	730
Valley County	7,503	0	2	3	0	0	0	0	6	7	622	1,567
Sheridan County	3,384	0	2	0	0	0	0	11	0	16	264	802

Per Cent to Total Population	Diversity Index

Daniels County	13.90	0.13	0.00	0.00	0.50	0.00	0.00	0.13	0.00	0.00	5.55	15.27
Montana	11.06	0.18	0.20	0.07	0.08	0.03	0.05	0.06	0.11	0.16	9.43	20.72
National	7.83	1.30	0.88	0.23	0.45	0.56	1.59	0.48	0.36	0.56	13.79	14.86
Roosevelt County	35.53	0.11	0.43	0.03	0.02	0.00	0.00	0.01	0.02	0.06	17.64	7.19
Valley County	12.78	0.00	0.03	0.04	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.08	0.09	8.29	20.88
Sheridan County	15.60	0.00	0.06	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.33	0.00	0.47	7.80	23.70

Comparisons to State Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		71.03	0.00	0.00	628.27	0.00	0.00	206.28	0.00	0.00	58.90	73.68
Montana		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
National		731.57	449.60	328.70	558.96	1,711.84	2,913.25	782.44	337.96	355.69	146.27	71.70
Roosevelt County		60.96	222.08	42.03	24.51	0.00	0.00	16.09	18.58	37.36	187.18	34.68
Valley County		0.00	13.67	56.90	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	75.46	59.00	87.95	100.78
Sheridan County		0.00	30.30	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	531.39	0.00	298.99	82.77	114.36

Comparisons to National Norms	% to Total >= 150%		% to Total < 50%

Daniels County		9.71	0.00	0.00	112.40	0.00	0.00	26.36	0.00	0.00	40.27	102.76
Montana		13.67	22.24	30.42	17.89	5.84	3.43	12.78	29.59	28.11	68.37	139.48
National		100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00	100.00
Roosevelt County		8.33	49.39	12.79	4.39	0.00	0.00	2.06	5.50	10.50	127.97	48.37
Valley County		0.00	3.04	17.31	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	22.33	16.59	60.13	140.56
Sheridan County		0.00	6.74	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	67.91	0.00	84.06	56.59	159.51

Sources: STI: PopStats, Circa April 2025

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