Middfest: DNA swabs trace our origins to Botswana

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MIDDLETOWN — Guests at Middfest have talked a lot over the years about their countries, but this year, they have done more than just talk.

This year, volunteers have taken DNA swabs of the inside of their mouths to trace where their ancestors come from. The tests are provided by National Genographic, and the tests will be discussed at Middfest this weekend.

Adriane Scherrer, the executive director of the We Can Business Incubator, discovered “we’re all pretty much from Botsawna,” which is this year’s featured country. “My map says I originally came from Botswana.”

Scherrer initially took the test for her own benefit, because she was researching biological family members she only recently discovered. She thought it might be interesting for many people to take the test to find out their backgrounds.

Dora Bronston, the local president of the NAACP, said she took the test also, and her test didn’t say exactly where her ancestors came from, but pinpointed the general area as southern Africa, which is in Botswana’s general vicinity.

The test, called The Genographic Project, won’t be administered at Middfest, but there will be information about it, as well as photos and other memorabilia from people who took the test, Bronston said.

“What I gained for myself was like an adventure,” she said. “It allows me to see how detailed the science is.”

The test kit costs $99 and the results are obtained from a DNA sampling taken in the mouth. The DNA samples are sent in to National Genographic, which sends the subject back their results, which arrive in four to six weeks.

The Genographic Project will be discussed over the weekend in room 4B on the fourth floor of the City Building.

Middfest runs Saturday through Sunday in and around Donham Plaza.