The specimens in these collections are the physical remains of people who were members of specific communities, whose descendants are members of specific living communities, and who have interests in how those remains are treated and analyzed.

The application of modern methods to old collections is not a purely technical exercise — it requires engagement with the descendent communities involved, following the legal frameworks established by NAGPRA and analogous legislation, and treating the research process as a collaborative enterprise in which the communities with ancestral connections to the material have standing to shape the research agenda.

The Trail Creek research was conducted within this ethical framework.

The National Park Service’s involvement brought institutional accountability to the process.