Sky Ferreira

41st Annual FiFi Awards - Arrivals

Ferreira in 2013, photo by PrPhotos

Birth Name: Sky Tonia Ferreira

Place of Birth: Venice Beach, Los Angeles, California, United States

Date of Birth: July 8, 1992

Ethnicity:
*father – Brazilian [Portuguese, possibly other]
*mother – one quarter Ashkenazi Jewish [matrilineal], Native American [Chippewa (Ojibwe), Cree, Chippewa-Cree, Cheyenne], Scottish, English, Irish, French

Sky Ferreira is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress.

She is the daughter of Tonia and Victor Ferreira. Sky was raised by her maternal grandmother, and grew up around family friend Michael Jackson.

Sky has said:

My dad is Brazilian and Portuguese and my mom is Native American. It’s funny because I came out looking like, pretty white… I’m Caucasian-looking and none of my family is; everyone in my family is at least two shades darker than me.

Sky’s mother is of documented Native American ancestry, including Chippewa (Ojibwe), Cree, Chippewa-Cree, and Cheyenne. Her own maternal grandmother, Sky’s matrilineal great-grandmother, was Ashkenazi Jewish. Sky’s mother also has Scottish, English, Irish, and French ancestry.

A picture of Sky’s parents can be seen here.

Sky’s maternal grandfather is Gary LaMere, Sr. (the son of David “Dave” LaMere, Jr. and Eunice Mitchell). David was the son of David “Dave” LaMere, Sr., who had Chippewa [Ojibwe] ancestry, and of Rose Caplette, whose parents were Cree. Her mother was born in Canada. Sky’s great-grandmother Eunice was the daughter of Malcolm Gilbert Mitchell and Caroline Whitford, and had Chippewa and Chippewa-Cree ancestry.

Sky’s maternal grandmother is Carol May Gillespie (the daughter of Thomas J. Gillespie and Lillian Schaeffer). Sky’s great-grandfather Thomas was raised on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, in South Dakota, the son of George Calvin Gillespie and May Leora Parker. Thomas and both of his parents are listed as Native American on U.S. Censuses. Thomas’s father George was born in South Dakota, the son of David T. Gillespie, who was white, and of Sarah Long Chain, a.k.a. Long Chin, who was of Cheyenne Native American ancestry. Thomas’s mother May Parker was born in Montana, and was also of part Cheyenne Native American ancestry.

Sky’s matrilineal great-grandmother Lillian Schaeffer was the daughter of Morris Schaeffer and Anna/Annie Paltier/Patter, who were Jewish emigrants, from Bukowina and Galicia.

Sources: Sky’s maternal great-grandfather, Thomas J. Gillespie, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Thomas J. Gillespie on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Genealogies of Sky’s maternal great-great-great-grandfather, David T. Gillespie (through David’s sister) – https://findagrave.com
http://www.genealogy.com

Genealogy of Sky’s maternal great-great-great-great-grandfather, George Gillespie (through George’s sister) – https://www.wikitree.com

Obituary of Sky’s maternal great-grandmother, Lillian (Schaeffer) Gillespie Hansen – https://familysearch.org

Sky’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Morris Schaeffer and Anna/Annie Paltier/Patter, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

J.J.

Hi, my name is J.J. i live in Sydney Australia and i'm of Portuguese, Maltese and 1/32 Irish descent

25 Responses

  1. alexgxo says:

    I think she’s lying or exaggerating about her whole family being “two shades” darker than her. Her look isn’t surprising given what her parents look like.

    For anything who sees this, or is interested, here’s a photo a fan found of her mother and father. Whatever possible African or Amerindian her Brazilian side has must be minimal, and her mother is definitely mostly European DNA wise. Her mom’s on the right, with the blue eyes.
    https://theskyferreira.tumblr.com/post/135585147059/do-you-know-anything-about-skys-dad/amp

  2. bablah says:

    Gary LaMere might be Winnebago and Dakota. I’ll see if I can figure it out later.

  3. madman says:

    Genealogies of Sky’s great-great-great-grandfather, David T. Gillespie (through his own sister, Polly B. Gillespie):
    https://findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi/%2525253C/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=77043526
    http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/d/a/v/Shena-David-MO/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0369.html

    Genealogy of Sky’s great-great-great-great-grandfather, George Gillespie (through his own sister, Jane Gillespie):
    https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Gillespie-2659

    The last one shows roots in Ireland as well.

  4. phaedra says:

    That obviously olive skinned girl who tries hard to look like pale & Nordic.

  5. Greyface says:

    omg its so weird that she came out looking white!! Portuguese english french scottish??? she is a woman of color! #OscarSoWhite

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