Research Highlights

Setting a New Standard for Collaborative Archaeological Research

• The Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi discovery and research program is recognized as setting a new standard in successful management of major archaeological discoveries involving ancient remains of Aboriginal people. A landmark in Canadian scientific and heritage resource management history, the project is a collaboration between the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, BC Archaeology Branch, the Royal BC Museum and scientists affiliated with other institutions. The project’s co-management administration operated under the highest ethical research standard, balancing the needs of science with respect for First Nations cultural values.
  

More Recent Finds from the Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi Site Area

• The glaciers in the area of the discovery site continue to recede, revealing new archaeological evidence. Additional finds and data have also been gathered during re-visits to the site after the 1999 discovery. Analysis of the information along with cultural research has provided insight in to the region’s natural resources, and its rich aboriginal history as well as the cultures within which Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi lived.

A Medical Biography

• While the exact cause of the man’s death has not been determined, possible scenarios will be discussed based on the cultural and scientific research. Speakers will discuss the medical history of this man including indications of his health at the time of death and old injuries that healed earlier in life. For example, it appears that Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi was infected with TB micro-organisms. This finding was unexpected because a pathological and histological examination of the tissues failed to find evidence that the individual was ill.

Unlocking the Secrets of His Last Meals and Final Journey

• Scanning electron microscopy, stable isotope analysis and many other methods have allowed scientists to reconstruct the last journey and last meals of Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi. Analysis of food samples in his gut, the mineral composition of silt grains in the water he drank, and the pollen and other botanical evidence left on his robe and in his digestive track has permitted researchers to create a map of his last travels. We now have a fairly good idea of where he travelled from and the route he had taken to the site where his remains were discovered. We are less certain of the purpose of his last trip or his intended destination.

Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi research sheds light on history of Aboriginal people in northwestern BC

• The research has shed light on the 18th and 19th century aboriginal population of northwestern British Columbia. It has shown how the history of these people is intertwined with that of their neighbours in the adjacent regions of Yukon and Alaska. Through study of the Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi discovery, we have learned about the societal changes taking place in this far corner of the province, in this twilight interval near the beginning of the historic period. The Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi discovery has led to the compilation of cultural information about the use of and travel through the mountains and on glaciers and the objects used while doing these things.

Investigations of the Kwäday Dän Ts’ìnchi clothing and tools

• Through specialized techniques such as isotope and DNA analysis we have learned about the construction details of his clothing and other artifacts. Detailed research on the ground squirrel (or gopher) robe he was wearing shows how it was made and repaired using the fur, leather and sinew of several animal species that occur variously in the interior and on the coast. Other types of analytical techniques have established the construction details of his hat and the hand tool he was carrying. More than 20 different species were used deliberately in the clothing, other belongings and the food he was eating. The various lines of evidence tell us about the subsistence and trading practices as well as the material culture and technologies of the time.

Kwäday Dän Ts'ìnchi discovery revives ancient traditions and reconnects neighbours

• As a result of this discovery, members of the indigenous communities in the area surrounding Tatshenshini-Alsek Park have become more aware of their common history; some have reacquainted themselves with aspects of their ancient traditional arts and technologies. The First Nations and Tribes of the surrounding area have also come together to celebrate the life of this individual from times past, and to honour him according to their traditions.

Conservation of the discoveries allows us to learn about the man and his belongings

• Conservators across Canada have been working to stabilise the discoveries so that they can be studied and viewed safely. These efforts have been complicated by the fact that many objects are made of several different materials. During their careful work a lot of information has been learned about the way these items are constructed and how they may have been used. Care has been taken to not impede other possible scientific studies.