FAQs

The ancestry service provided by Johnathan Mercedes is meant as an introductory overview designed to provide individuals with a deeper understanding of their genetic heritage through the exploration of different haplogroups, blood types, and ethnic tribes from around the globe. During your session, you can expect to engage in an enlightening conversation lasting about an hour, where Johnathan will unpack the significance of your specific blood type and delve into the details of your haplogroup data. This information can offer unique insights from Johnathan's personal research and perspective into your ancestral roots and geographical origins, serving as a starting point for your personal exploration of family history. Additionally, Johnathan will identify the tribe associated with your haplogroup, providing you with valuable historical context about that tribe. This includes discussing their hidden or esoteric history, shedding light on cultural practices, beliefs, and experiences that may have shaped your lineage over time. By the end of the session, you will have a broader understanding of your ancestry and a newfound appreciation for the rich tapestry of history that contributes to your identity today. It is important to note, that the opinions and views expressed on or through this website are the personal opinions of Tribal Knowledge Academy / Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC / Dawn Treader / Johnathan Mercedes and do not reflect the opinions, views, or uphold any kind of industry standards of any accredited organizations, institutions, professionals, or anyone else, nor are they part of the mainstrean narrative. The opinions of Tribal Knowledge Academy / Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC / Dawn Treader / Johnathan Mercedes are unique to them as individuals, and not always factual. By agreeing to the contract upon purchase of your ancestry report, you represent that you clearly understand and acknowledge that the information you are processing and purchasing from Tribal Knowledge Academy / Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC / Dawn Treader / Johnathan Mercedes is based on their personal opinion, and not that of professionals in their fields.

You can book an ancestry session with Johnathan Mercedes using the calendar feature on the website. To access the calendar booking feature, select the label that says 'ANCESTRY SERVICE' from the main menu on the upper right corner of the website (it's a small box that says MENU) or hit the button that says 'ANCESTRY APPOINTMENT' right at start of the home page. You will be taken to a calendar system where you can SELECT the time and date that works for you. Once you pick your time and date, hit the button that says NEXT, and fill in the data. Once you purchase your session, you will get a confirmation email from our website, followed by another email (mailed a little bit later on) that will contain a link to your virtual Zoom session for the time and date that you scheduled your appointment for.

All ancestry sessions offered at Tribal Knowledge Academy are VIRTUALLY conducted using a platform called Zoom. We do NOT offer in-person services.

Ancestry sessions can be incredibly valuable in tracing your family history. The sessions conducted by Johnathan Mercedes tap into his extensive genealogical knowledge, allowing you to uncover valuable information about your ancestors. By delving into your bloodline data, surname and family history, Johnathan Mercedes can piece together the puzzle of your lineage that generic DNA testing services cannot help you with. Johnathan is a renowned genealogical researcher who can assist you in navigating through complex records, surname databases and provide guidance and support by interpreting the information you find together. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced researcher, these sessions can offer insights, tips, and techniques to help you discover and connect with your roots. With Johnathan's assistance and insights, you can explore and understand your family's heritage at an advanced level.

The only information you need to provide is your own blood type and surname. If you don't know your bloodtype, Johnathan can STILL trace your surname for you and tell you genetic information based on your features. Having BOTH your bloodtype and lineage information is recommended. It's a nice bonus if you know the bloodtype of your family (i.e parents, siblings) and the surnames of your family (i.e parents). Apart from blood type information and surnames, you can also include any additional data you wish to discuss, such as genetic testing results and any family photos / documents you wish to present.

Yes. You may bring whatever supplementary information you wish to include in the session. If you would like to ask questions about specific family members, things such as physical traits and features, you may do so, just be mindful that you will need to make your Zoom camera live (i.e turn on your camera permission in Zoom), in order for Johnathan Mercedes to see your photos and properly assess them. You may bring your genetic test results as well. They will make your reading a 100% accurate and allow Johnathan Mercedes to give you VERY specific details regarding your personal lineage. The more information you include, the better.

Unfortunately, we do not. You can mail us about it, if you wish to negotiate something. It's possible we might take you up on an offer, but this not a guarantee.

At Tribal Knowledge Academy, we do not sell your data to anyone. Johnathan Mercedes & Dawn Treader are mindful and respectful of your privacy. We will never share your information out with third parties or anyone else, apart from YOU (the client). All information you provide stays between Tribal Knowledge Academy (Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC) and yourself (the client). We DO keep a PERMANENT record of all transactions and sessions that we provide (including the audio recording and the session booklet that we provide). All email transactions between you (the client) and us (the service providers) are stored permanently, along with the audio recording of the session, and any personalized content you receive from us. All records and copies of the transaction between you (the client) and us (Johnathan Mercedes, Dawn Treader, Tribal Knowledge Academy, Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC) are forever owned by us (Johnathan Mercedes, Dawn Treader, Tribal Knowledge Academy, Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC) and stored for legal purposes (in case any legal issues ever arise). We store the data (including all transaction details) on a secure hard-drive (which is kept in a secure safe), and we also back up all of that content with a paid for service that specializes in long term data storage. So to be clear, we store the data in two places, on a hard-drive (that is NOT) attached to a computer (making it almost impossible to access and hack) and a second specialized paid-for service (which is the industry standard for most professional businesses) that is designed to digitally store and back up data (this service is designed specifically for business storage purposes). Client privacy is of utmost importance to us at Tribal Knowledge Academy (Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC), and we diligently protect the information you share. We understand that trust is essential in our relationship, which is why we pledge never to disclose your personal information to third parties or anyone else. The details you provide remain strictly confidential between you and us. Again, we maintain a permanent record of all transactions and sessions, including audio recordings and personalized content, solely for your benefit and our legal obligations. All communications are securely stored (to the best of our abilities), with records housed on a protected hard drive that is kept safely away from potential cyber threats, as well as backed up with a reputable data storage service. Your privacy rights are respected, and we stand committed to safeguarding your information while ensuring you are aware of how it is handled. Please refer to our PRIVACY POLICY (https://www.tribalknowledgeacademy.org/privacy-disclaimer)for further reading on this subject matter. After reading through our privacy policy and learning about our permanent record keeping / data storage (in case any legal issues arise) you may decide that this service and our policy is not for you. This is perfectly fine. Johnathan Mercedes, Dawn Treader, Tribal Knowledge Academy, Bloodlines Tribes Starfamily LLC want to be 100% transparent at all times, so if our policies do not align with your expectations or comfort levels, we fully respect your decision to seek other services. We believe that informed choices are essential in fostering trust between us and our clients. Should you have any questions or need further clarification about our privacy practices, we encourage you to reach out for assistance. Ultimately, our goal is to create a safe and respectful environment for everyone, and we appreciate your understanding as we uphold these standards.

Yes. We have an age restriction policy for our ancestry sessions, strictly requiring participants to be 18 years old or above. Please do not call minors over to the Zoom call / virtual session or include minors in the ancestry reading. We do not deal with minors and anyone who is not 18+ in ANY form or capacity. If you call a minor over to the Zoom session, we will immediately terminate your session for breach of contract and you will not receive a refund or be able to reschedule your session. You will also immediately be permanently banned from all Tribal Knowledge Academy platforms and services. This is a very strict policy we adhere to at Tribal Knowledge Academy, no exceptions!!

Yes, we can conduct ancestry sessions in Russian, as long as you don't mind having a translator present during your session. This means there will be two people present at your session, both Johnathan Mercedes and a Russian translator. Russian is the only other language, apart from English, that sessions can be conducted with.

Yes, but we kindly ask that you please email us BEFORE booking a session if you are looking to do it for someone else. We will make specific arrangements for this type of request. You can reach us at: tribalknowledgeacademy@gmail.com(mailto:tribalknowledgeacademy@gmail.com) Or, your other option is that you can book a session for them directly, by proving their email address and writing us a note in the booking portion, stating that this is a gift for someone else.

Yes, you may schedule as many sessions as you wish. Johnathan Mercedes is adept in multiple fields of knowledge, so if you wish to speak to him on ANY topic of your choosing (in addition to ancestry), feel free to go right ahead and do so. lf you wish to have a follow-up appointment where you can ask more questions, you are more than welcome to do so as well.

We don't offer notes, but we do sometimes offer a complimentary video recording of your session. Please note that the video recording DOES NOT automatically come with your session and is not part of your purchase / service with Johnathan Mercedes. It is something we offer to folks who request it specifically before the start of a session. If you would like to receive a video recording of your session, kindly let Johnathan Mercedes know this BEFORE the session starts. Doing so will ensure that you get a video recording, otherwise you might not.

Yes, you don't need to know anything apart from your surname and blood type in order to get a reading. Johnathan Mercedes will explain everything to you in depth throughout your session. The sessions are designed to accommodate everyone, whether you are just starting out, or whether you are an expert in this field.

During an ancestry session, we make no guarantees of accuracy of the information provided due to our website / company policy, but we do strive our best to be as thorough as possible using various measures. Firstly, we strive to collect data from reliable and reputable sources, including official records, historical documents, and verified sources. This helps us maintain the credibility of the information we provide. Additionally, we employ data verification techniques, such as cross-referencing different sources and conducting thorough research, to ensure the accuracy of the lineage and family connections we present. By combining these rigorous processes and meticulous research, we aim to provide you with the best information that we can, about your ancestry. Again please keep in mind that we make no warranties or guarantees of accuracy or anything else pertaining to your genetic data or lineage.

The cost of a session is $77.00 (USD) for an hour session. There are no payment plans available, but if you are financially struggling and would really like a session, reach out to us via the email address below to see if we can work something out about getting you a reduced rate. tribalknowledgeacademy@gmail.com(mailto:tribalknowledgeacademy@gmail.com)

In order to schedule an ancestry session, you need to know the blood type and the family surname that you would like to have traced. If you have had genetic testing done, having your haplogroup data would be ideal. This however, is not necessary to know in order to book a session. At the very least, you should have: 1) Your Blood Type 2) Family Surname (Last Name)

If this is your situation, and you don't have ANY knowledge of your background at all, including the basics such as your blood type and surname, you can still book an ancestry session. However, in this scenario, you would need to have a genetic test that contains your haplogroup data. Many people have come to Johnathan Mercedes with this exact scenario, and he was able to help them regardless of their lack of information. At the very least, you should have: 1) A genetic test containing your haplogroup data.

It is advised that you have a pen / pencil and paper on hand to write down the details of your session. During the session, you will be presented with quite a bit of information, so it is highly advised you have a means of transcribing (via pencil or pen) any points of interest / session highlights, so that you can go back and review it after the fact.

All sessions and readings will be hosted via Zoom, so it is important for you to have a Zoom account that is set up and ready to go prior to the start of the session / reading. After you purchase your session, you will receive a confirmation email regarding your scheduled appointment. On the day of the session / service, you will receive a Zoom link that will connect you with the service provider. If you do not have Zoom, the session can be arranged to be held over Facebook Messenger, but it is preferable and recommended for you to have and to use Zoom.

Ancestry Session Length = Around 1 Hour (Give or Take)

Tribal Knowledge Academy sessions are hosted using Eastern Standard Time (EST). If you need a time zone converter calculator, here's a good one to use in order to book your appointment. https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/ (https://www.worldtimebuddy.com/) You can use Albany, NY as an EST location when booking any Tribal Knowledge Academy sessions. When you go to the calculator website link above, put in Albany, NY for Tribal Knowledge Academy and put in your location as the secondary location in the time zone converter calculator, and book accordingly.