Genealogical Education

I would like to share my genealogical educational journey so far, with emphasis on what I am doing now. I will also list some options for you to think about if you are interested in learning more about family history research. Before I explain my current education, I would like to share my previous genealogical education. I enjoy learning and taking courses, probably from the teacher in me.

I took some individual genealogical courses online from Brigham Young University such as Ireland Genealogy research, American Law, and life history writing. I then began working on a bachelor’s degree which included a certificate and an associate degree in Family History Research from Brigham Young University – Idaho. The courses were very well presented and taught. At graduation, I walked across the same stage I had 45 years earlier.

I was able to research and write multiple research reports according to their format. The last course, 499 specialty research, I had the opportunity to do work on a narrative report to prepare for what I thought at the time would be my next step. This class also explained two certifications I might want to complete next. The options highlighted were the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen).

My first choice was Board for Certification of Genealogists because they had a Lecturer certification. Once the BCG is earned, I would work on the lecturer certification. As a speaker and educator I wanted this certification. To learn about this certification visit the following.

The International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists certification is done for a specific location. They had recently added Western Canada as one of the locations. A friend, Linda Yip, was the first to certify in the region. ICAPGen had also created a Lecturer certification.

With the Western Canada region created and the lecturer certification added, I decided to start with the ICAPGen. At BYU Idaho I learned what was needed for their classes. For ICAPGen certification, I needed to know their requirements. ICAPGen provides study groups. I signed up for the Four Generation Project Study Group. The study group was amazing. I learned exactly what was expected and how they grade the report. It is a little bit different than what BYU-I asked for. The purpose of the study group is to revise and improve one generation of the Four Generation project. We were taught as a group and then broke into small groups with our mentor. Mentors helped two students with what they specifically need to improve to be able to pass and answer questions.

After submitting the first half of one generation of our full report, two other classmates read and commented on our report. We had the opportunity to evaluate two other students’ reports. We then finished the second half of the first generation. Two other students read and added their thoughts, and I read two more reports. All of this was very educational. They also have study groups for the testing part of the certification. To learn more about ICAPGen certification visit the following

I am working on finalizing my research report to submit. Some people register for a second study group to fine tune another generation before submitting their project. Once I earn my AG, I will work on my AGL.

Are you thinking about wanting to learn more or hone your skills? Here are some additional options.

First, the following are two websites that list many educational options.

FamilySearch Wiki has a page listing education opportunities, which is divided by country. 
https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Professional_Genealogy_Educational_Opportunities_-_International_Institute

Conference Keeper website also has a list 
https://conferencekeeper.org/genealogy-education/

Different types of education opportunities
The following are options I wanted to highlight. Some are listed on the sites above.

Institutes
There are a few institutes held throughout the year. These are usually a weeklong intense learning about a specific subject such as a language to read documents in another language, research in an area, recording family history. Many now include an online option. Well known options are GRIP is in Pittsburg and SLIP is in Salt Lake City.

Genealogical Studies (International Institute of Genealogical Studies: IIGS)
IIGS provide courses for 12 different certificates. The certificates include different locations throughout the world, methodology, historian, and DNA. To learn more check out their website at https://genealogicalstudies.com/.

Area Certifications
Check out areas you are researching to see if courses are offered in your research area. If there are courses, check to see if they also have certificates as well. Here are two unique Canadian certificates.

Genealogical institute of the Maritimes
https://www.genealogicalinstitute.ca

Saskatchewan Genealogical Society Certification Courses
https://saskgenealogy.com/education/certification-courses

DNA Certification
Investigative Genetic Genealogy Accreditation Board (IGGAB).
As I volunteer with mitoYDNA.org, I want to earn this certificate. This will most likely be my next project after the AG and AGL. I will also at some time complete the CG and CGL.

From their website they state:
“IGGAB has addressed the urgent need for ethical standards and proof of proficiency in this rapidly developing field by developing professional standards and an examination process that allows applicants to become an Accredited Investigative Genetic Genealogist (AIGG).”
https://www.iggab.org

Conferences and webinars
These are always great opportunities to learn in a variety of places. Many genealogical societies hold webinars. Check out the genealogical society where you are researching to see what they offer.

What are your next plans?
Enjoy the learning and have fun!

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Legacy FamilyTree Webinars (MyHeritage) announce French sessions

You may or may not have received an email from MyHeritage announcing their launch of a French-language Webinar Series.

Daniel Horowitz stated:
"Starting October 7, a new series of live genealogy webinars will be offered entirely in French, alongside more than 100 French-language sessions now available on demand.

"This is an exciting addition for French-speaking genealogists worldwide, and a great resource to share with anyone in your community who speaks French or researches in French-language records."

Why is this exciting for me?
During the summer, I received an email from Geoff at Legacy Webinars telling me about this French launch. Then more exciting, he asked me if they could add one of my sessions to this new library! Of course I said, yes! 

The link to my session filles du roi aux meres dune nation in French is below. You need a Legacy Webinar account to watch and obtain handout.  
The handout has also been translated into French. 

My original session Daughters of the King to Mothers of a Nation in English is at:

How does this benefit you?
The first three live sessions (all free to attend) are:
Filae : la maison des archives originales françaises with Yann Guillerm, Community Manager and Editor at Filae, Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
Explorer vos racines en France : méthodes et ressources en ligne avec les collections de MyHeritage with Marie Cappart, historian and professional genealogist, Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST
Explorer vos racines au Luxembourg : archives locales et ressources MyHeritage with Liliane Hierro, professional genealogist and author, Tuesday, November 4, 2025 at 2 P.M. GMT / 10 A.M. EST

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AI and Genealogy

Why AI and is it scary?

You have used AI and probably didn't know it.

Have you ever done a Google search? 

How about in Facebook: Have you seen other people suggested as new people to become friends to ask to be your friend? This is similar with Netflix and Amazon Prime when they show movies you would like based on what you have previously watched. 

Have you ever asked Siri, Google Assistant, or Alexa a question? Do you use a NEST thermostat, or similar company in your home that regulates your heat? That learns from what you have one in the past.

All of these and much more use AI to perform their tasks. 

FAQ webpages
Do you remember the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) webpages? A page designated to a list of questions that were frequently asked by others consumers, to help navigate the website or complete tasks on the website. Many of these webpages have been replaced by a bot on the main webpage of a website ready to answer your questions. FAQ are still around. We are using it for our East Coast Genetic Genealogy Conference (ecggc,org) but they are not used as much. 

To create a way for users to ask a question and receive an answer, before AI, the programming would have had been a lot of what are called IF.. THEN statements. 
A IF THEN statement would ask a question with a Yes or No / True or False answer. 

A user would ask a question. The programmer would have to have a question such as
IF the word Genealogy is in the question THEN say this... 
IF the word DNA is in the question THEN say this...

If the question mentions the word "genealogy" then say this. (Directing them to a spot on the website for genealogy) 
If the question mentions the word "certification" then say this. 
For each of the important word(s) the site is expecting users to ask about there would have been a IF..THEN statement type of programming. This would take too many lines of code taking many of hours of coding with cost. This much code would also slow down the answer appearing. Way to long and this would be very slow, that is why there were pages called FAQs.

Have you noticed that bots have gotten better at answering your questions and understanding you? That is because of the improvement in the AI programming.

What AI is used for has also increased. Here are some examples in the Genealogy world. 

MyHeritage

MyHeritage has utilized AI in some fun family history ways.

The first was adding movement to an ancestor from their photo. Their head, eyes, and mouth moved. Not everyone was happy about that. Some thought it was a little creepy but either way it was pretty cool technology. It is called Animate your family photos.
For an example, check out their website at: https://www.myheritage.com/deep-nostalgia 

MyHeritage also has the AI Time Machine. 
Upload 10 - 25 photos of one person and then tell the AI Time Machine what time in history you want the person to be by selecting from one of the many themes representing different time in history. 
https://www.myheritage.com/ai-time-machine

For Genealogists
Besides what MyHeritage has, what else can AI do you the genealogists? There are a few AI website that will create graphics for you to use for free. As a presenter for PowerPoint presentations or images to add when writing your family history. 

Using AI to analyze DNA data is being worked on but nothing specific yet.

Marketing for a Genealogy Company
For a genealogist who has a company or a genealogical society you might want a good tagline to get people's attention. At Grammarly Slogan generator webpage you can answer three questions and it generated 5 slogans for you. 

Slogan Generator
Enter in information about your company and the Grammarly Slogan Generator will come up with some great tag lines for your company - all for free. 

https://www.grammarly.com/slogan-generator
There are other websites that can do the same thing. 

Step 1:  Enter Target Audience
My target audience is genealogists who need help with using technology, software, DNA, and Canadian records.

Step 2:  Add business, product, or campaign details
I present webinars about genealogical research, DNA, Canadian genealogical records,
Name is ifamilyhistory

Step 3:  Add Tone of voice
Describe the tone(s) you want your slogan to have.
My tone should be professional and upbeat.

Taglines the AI produced for me based on above information

  • "Unlock Your Ancestral Story with iFamilyHistory: Embrace Technology, Discover Your Roots"
  • "Connect the Past with the Future: iFamilyHistory, Your Gateway to Canadian Genealogical Records"
  • "Tech-Savvy Solutions for the Modern Genealogist: iFamilyHistory, Where DNA Meets Technology"
  • "Unleash the Power of DNA: iFamilyHistory, Your Expert Guide to Canadian Genealogy"
  • "Discover Your Canadian Heritage: iFamilyHistory, Empowering Genealogists with Technology"

The instructions said to put the company name in step 2. 
I changed one answers slightly. I said the tone should be "upbeat" instead of "Positive". I received similar results.

1:  My target audience is genealogists who need help with using technology, software, DNA, and Canadian records  
2: I present webinars about genealogical research, DNA, Canadian genealogical records. Company name is ifamilyhistory
3: My tone should be professional and positive. 

  • "Unlock Your Ancestral Legacy with iFamilyHistory"
  • "Leading the Way in Genealogical Technology and DNA Research"
  • "Discover Your Canadian Roots with iFamilyHistory"
  • "Empowering Genealogists with Cutting-Edge Technology and Expertise"
  • "Navigate the Digital Era of Genealogy with iFamilyHistory"

Sessions on AI
RootsTech website has AI sessions.

Upcoming
There will be more sessions on AI at different conferences. Maybe, AI will be able to analyze our DNA results quicker. Exciting but not everyone is ready or want someone else to do their work for them. Doing the work helps us connect with our cousins and ancestors.

Watch for more ways AI will be able to help you with your genealogy and DNA and enjoy the possibilities.

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One Place Study: Ogdensburg, PQ Table of Records

To go along with the Surname study, I am conducting a One Place Study on Ogdensburg, Quebec. 

For my One Place Study I created a Table of Records for the area.
The first records I added to the table was census records which included the area before and after my family arrived in the area. 

I want to know why they picked this remote area in a French Catholic province when they were neither. How did they know about this area? They might have learned about the area from other family who came before them to this area, therefore I am looking at the census records before they arrived. It is part of the FAN research. Family/Friends, Associates, and neighbours. I am looking for family who arrived before my direct line. 

This is a screen shot of part of the census section of the Table of Records. 












I searched each census for Dowd/O'Dowd and Donoughy/Donoughoo (mother's maiden name).

Below is a screen shot of the Civil Registration of the Table of Records.












This shows the purpose for the first column. 
As I find more records I will add it to this table. 
As I search each of these records I will put the result in my Research Log. 
If family is found, I will save a copy of the record, along with the source, the URL, of the record
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FNMI in the 1901 Canada Census

Canada Census, 1901 includes two columns which are unique to other Canadian censuses. They are colour (column 5) which only appears in this census and for Ethnicity (column 11) which contains unique answer options.

Colour
Library and Archives Canada defines the colour column as follows.

“…the letter "w" or “b” for white, "r" for red (Indigenous peoples), "b" or “n” for black (Black Canadians), "y" or “j” for yellow (individuals of Asian descent). Individuals of mixed heritage were designated by their relevant non-white race.”[1]

Ethnicity
The ethnicity listed in column 11 is the same for other censuses if the ancestry is from Europe or Asia but unique for the FNMI Peoples, and is different for each of the Peoples. 

First Nation
The First Nation people have an "r" in the colour column, and an r in the Ethnicity field as well. It does not say Cree,  Iroquois, Chipewyan, Algonquin or any other nation, just the letter "r".

Metis
Metis are those who have an ancestry couple where one spouse was First Nation and the other is European. French was the most Metis ancestry. Metis people are designated as R in the colour field. In the ethnicity column, they are designated as follows. The first table is English. The second table is French. [2]

Fb French Breed
Eb English Breed
Sb Scottish Breed
Ib Irish Breed
Ob Other breed

m.f. métis français, French breed
m.a. métis anglais, English breed
m.e. métis écossais, Scottish breed
m.i. métis irlandais, Irish breed
a.r. autre race/métissage, other breed

Inuit
The Inuit are designated as R in the colour field. In the ethnicity column they are identified as Eskimo. That term is no longer used. For more information, read my blog post FNMI The Indigenous Peoples of Canada at https://ifamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2023/11/fnmi-indigenous-peoples-of-canada.html.

These are Racial or Tribal Origin. Inuit are found in the Unorganized Territories, District 206. These are records are found only at:  http://automatedgenealogy.com/census/District.jsp?id=206

  • Sub-district c, Keewatin
  • Sub-district d, Mackenzie
  • Sub-district e, Ungava
The following page is results from the Keewatin sub-district.













Territories Search page by area
Yukon results do not appear on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or Library and Archives Canada. 

Library and Archives Canada website has a Inuit genealogy page which includes Census Records at https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/indigenous-heritage/Pages/inuit-genealogy.aspx.

The search page for this census is found at the following websites

  • Library and Archives Canada https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Census/Index
  • Ancestry  https://www.ancestry.ca/search/collections/8826/
  • FamilySearch  https://www.familysearch.org/search/collection/1584557

[1] Library and Archives Canada, Dominion of Canada, 1871 to 1931, Census of Canada, 1901, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/genealogy-family-history/censuses/Pages/dominion-canada.aspx#1901, accessed Nov 2023.

[2] Library and Archives Canada, General census guide, Other abbreviations, https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng/collection/research-help/genealogy-family-history/censuses/Pages/census-records.aspx, accessed Nov 2023.

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