Article Summary: DNA from Early Montrealers Reveals Little Genetic Mixing

A genetic study of skeletons dating from the colonial era challenges the widespread assumption that French settlers and Indigenous peoples frequently intermarried during the early colonization of New France.

Key Findings

  • 45 skeletons analyzed: Researchers sequenced DNA from 45 individuals buried at Montreal’s Notre-Dame cemetery, established in 1683 and used until 1796.

  • European ancestry in the sample: All 45 individuals studied showed European French ancestry, with no detectable evidence of recent genetic mixing with Indigenous or African populations.

  • A challenge to historical narratives: These findings suggest that relationships between French settlers and Indigenous peoples may not have resulted in as many family unions as popular historical accounts sometimes imply.

  • Family connections nevertheless existed: Genetic analysis identified several family lineages spanning multiple generations. However, the graves were scattered throughout the cemetery rather than consistently grouped into family plots.

Why Are These Findings Important?

In Quebec, many families have stories about having an Indigenous ancestor. Genealogical research and DNA testing have helped popularize these claims. However, this study highlights the importance of distinguishing family traditions from historical genetic evidence.

The researchers also emphasize that the increasing separation between Indigenous communities and the colonial population may have influenced the results. Indigenous people and enslaved individuals were not necessarily buried in the cemetery examined in the study. Some were buried within their own communities or on the properties of enslavers.

What Are the Study’s Limitations?

The researchers emphasize three important points:

  1. The sample is limited. Forty-five individuals from a single cemetery cannot represent the entire population of Montreal during the colonial period.

  2. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. The study does not prove that no unions between Indigenous people and French settlers occurred. It only indicates that no recent genetic mixing was detected among the individuals analyzed.

  3. Genetic ancestry does not define Indigenous identity. Belonging to an Indigenous nation also involves family relationships, community ties, culture, and connections to the land—not simply a DNA test result.

Conclusion

This research, published on October 5, 2026, in the scientific journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(PNAS), provides new insight into the relationships between Indigenous peoples and French settlers in Montreal. It challenges some popular assumptions about intermarriage during the New France period without denying the existence of alliances, exchanges, conflicts, or family unions between these populations.

The main takeaway: The findings describe the individuals buried in one specific cemetery, not the entire ancestry of present-day Quebecers. Therefore, they do not justify concluding that French-speaking Quebecers have no Indigenous ancestors.

Source: Original Live Science article.