First, they provide visual documentation that connects the historical record of Sitting Bull’s life to the objects and biological material associated with him — documentation that is relevant in repatriation investigations and in any assessment of the chain of custody of objects claimed to be his.

Second, they illustrate the extent to which Sitting Bull himself understood the importance of controlling his own image and legacy, an understanding that his descendants have continued in their advocacy regarding his burial site and the recognition of their family’s identity.

Third, and perhaps most interestingly, the photographs have sometimes been used in attempts to draw genetic or physiological inferences about Sitting Bull — a practice that researchers working with the family have engaged with carefully, given the complex ethics of drawing biological conclusions from historical images of individuals who may not have consented to such analysis.

The DNA study did not rely on photographic evidence for its genetic findings.