Living descendants have specific interests in how their ancestors’ biological material is used, specific perspectives on what research questions are worth asking, and specific concerns about how the findings will be framed and used.

The framework for engaging with these interests in historical DNA research is still developing, and the Sitting Bull study — conducted with full family participation and careful attention to how findings were communicated — represents one model for how that engagement can work.

Willerslev has spoken publicly about the importance of Indigenous community engagement in research involving ancestral remains, and his group’s work with the LaPointe family appears to have reflected a genuine commitment to centering the family’s interests and perspectives in the research design and in how the findings were communicated.

That approach distinguished the Sitting Bull study from some earlier ancient DNA research that engaged with Indigenous concerns as an afterthought rather than as a foundational element of the research design.