The breadth of this material, and the time depth it represents, speaks to a continuous human use of the alpine landscape that the Ice Patch Archaeology programs have been documenting.

First Nations communities in the Yukon, working with territorial archaeologists, have been at the forefront of this documentation effort.

The Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, who were central to the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi research, have been involved in ice patch monitoring that treats the archaeological material emerging from the ice as cultural heritage belonging to the communities — material that tells the ongoing story of their presence in the landscape.

The ethical framework that the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi project helped develop — in which First Nations governance of cultural heritage in their territories is recognized and operationalized rather than merely acknowledged — is the framework within which ice patch monitoring in the region is being conducted.