Science provided the data that made the connection visible.

The meaning of the connection was something the communities already had the framework to understand.

The Ethics That Shaped Everything

The Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi project was unusual in the degree to which the ethical framework — the governance structure, the consultation, the negotiated research agreement — was not simply a procedural requirement imposed on the science from outside, but a substantive shaping force that affected what science was done, how it was done, and what the results mean.

This is worth dwelling on, because it represents a model — imperfect, specific to its context, but meaningful — of how archaeological research involving Indigenous ancestors can be conducted in ways that respect Indigenous sovereignty while still producing significant scientific knowledge.