What are common characterists of native americans? For instance, I
have an oral torus and molar cusps and I hear that they are associated
with nat. americans. My dad was adopted, so I am trying to find out my
heritage based on what I look like. I would like to know physical
traits, but if you can find behavioral traits, that would be good too.
THANK YOU.

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Clarification of Question by lamayberry-ga on 28 Apr 2004 10:34 PDT

Might I add, that my father is extremely Native American-looking and I
was told that there are traits that have been genetically isolated
solely to Native American cultures. I am not naive; I know that you
cannot judge your ethicity based on what you look like. I am just
trying to retrieve information that I am curious about. If I was
serious about finding my heritage, I would drive to Dumas, TX and grab
my father's birth records.

Dear Lamayberry, 

You can't find your heritage based on what you look like (unless you
have very distinctive marks), and less than that based on your
bahvior.

Native Americans, like any other person, behave the way their
environment taught them to behave, and with accordance to their own
personal character. Even if there are behavior patterns that are
typical to Native Americans, it would be found among people brought up
in Native American families, not because someone is of Native American
heritage. The assumptions that one could predict the charcter of a
person based on their ethnic heritage wa spopular among racist
scientists in the early 20th century and was since proved wrong.

People of Native American heritage might also - based on "looks" - be
considered to be of Hispanic heritage; of Asian heritage, etc.

If you want to know your own heritage, and if your father is still
alive, try to convince him to open the adoption records.