My Grandma told me I was Native American.

Data and Geneology.

My Great-Great Grandpa is Native American, that’s what my Granny tells me anyway.  And although I’m a straight up white girl, I do wear moccasins frequently and tan perfectly.  So, it must be true.  Right?  Apparently, I am not the only American that only has their family’s word as proof of heritage.

• Stories such as Elizabeth Warren, the U.S. Senate candidate who claimed minority status during law school and as a young law professor, continues to insist that she is 1/32 Native American, with only her mother’s word as documentation.
• 1.7 percent of Americans self-identified as either completely or partially Native American on the 2010 census.
• The Cornell University Genetic Ancestry Project found in a 200-person undergrad sample, 4% to 5% Native American heritage.  With such a small sample, it does not seem reliably representative of a national average, yet insightful.

The Hillbilly/Native American Family Book of Secrets

However, upon further inquiry, her evidence behind my possible financially promising heritage was faulty at best.  As I asked her more and more questions, and dreamed of free college, I found that her data collection system was a treasured, bound gathering of secret family records dating our genealogical lines back to the 1500s.

“We sort through 7,000,000,000 people worldwide to find your ideal customers.” – GrowData.com

Survey Says?

Being in the data industry, I could not help but wonder about those people, those dates, and the documentation behind it all.  How were important legal notifications made and reported?  How do definitively know how many people were killed by the Black Plague when they didn’t even know to wash their hands?

While I could have just taken my Granny’s word, the most reliable data is vetted by asking the right questions. Important inquiries we often ask our customers include:

• Can you tell me about your business?
• Who is your ideal customer?
• What marketing methods have you already tried?

The more information you can gather about your client, the better.

Ancestry.com

Ancestry.com confirmed my suspicions about my Granny’s “Secret Hillbilly/Native American Family” book.  Her data was not reliable.  This is what I found:

•  Prior to the nineteenth century, British and European countries did not hold birth and death records.  Instead, churches collected verification of christenings and burials.
• Previous to the colonization of America, Indian tribes kept their own records which, in many cases, were destroyed.
• Proving ancestral linkage begins with a DNA test.  These can be found through  23andMe, FamilyTreeDNA and Ancestry.com.

Who can you trust?

So, how can data from popular modern sources be trusted?  In my research I found that:

•  Sometimes, Granny’s book is as good as it gets.

The big data industry has exploded over the last 10 years, but in the case of niche markets, a data broker is critical due to their professional relationships and position in the industry.

• Optimally, however, the best data compilers layer multiple sources to create the most accurate information.
•  GrowData offers our customers the best data available through layering strategic partnerships, curated relationships, and over 20 years of experience.