: Indigenous leaders, such as Debra Harry of the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism, noted that genetic findings could contradict traditional beliefs , potentially threatening political sovereignty and cultural identity.
The intersection of genetic data and Indigenous oral histories created deep ethical and legal concerns. Critics argued that the project prioritized Western scientific narratives over centuries-old Traditional Knowledge .
The Genographic Project ultimately highlighted the complex balance between the universalizing goals of Big Science and the specific, protected rights of Indigenous peoples over their own biological and cultural history .
