They traveled to central Illinois from Manitoba, Mexico City, Nova Scotia and 18 U.S. states, bringing expertise in a variety of fields, including anthropology, biomedical engineering, ethics, health and environmental policy, law, neurobiology, and social and behavioral science.

Scientists are interested in studying the DNA of Indigenous populations because it can lead to discoveries, such as when their ancestors first arrived on the continent and where they originally came from. Genomics research can also shed light on the genetic basis of disease.

But early in his career, University of Illinois anthropologist Ripan Malhi (CGRH, GNDP, IGOH, RBTE) said he recognized there was a lack of trust between scientists and Indigenous communities.

A new genetic study of ancient individuals in the Americas and their contemporary descendants finds that two populations that diverged from one another 18,000 to 15,000 years ago remained apart for millennia before mixing again. This historic “reconvergence” occurred before or during their expansion to the southern continent.