In the final decades of the 20th century, genetic science picked up speed and changed the face of medicine, anthropology, and public health. Huge DNA retrieval projects were underway and gaining momentum, due to governmental investment and global partnerships. In the early 1990s, the NIH and its collaborators were pouring billions of dollars into genomics, including population-based studies. However, concerns about informed consent, property, and cultural issues were also rising, particularly with regard to indigenous groups, whose biological samples were now also of interest.
Frank Charles Dukepoo joined this national conversation as one of the very few native American scientists trained in the area of human genetics. His expertise in cytogenetics and population genetics made him very visibly invested in the impact that new technology had on communities with different cultural and political identities. Instead of being a researcher who kept their scope within the lab itself, Dukepoo was very interested in the impact that scientific practice had on people and the ways in which those communities were being represented and governed.
The height of Dukepoo’s public career came during the debates over the Human Genome Diversity Project during the 1990s. The Human Genome Diversity Project proposed the collection of DNA from Indigenous groups worldwide to enable the study of the diversity of the human race. While proponents claimed this to be science in the pursuit of further knowledge and understanding, opponents were concerned with the potential for the DNA to fall into the wrong hands and what the ultimate disposition of the DNA would be. Dukepoo spoke out on the issues surrounding the Human Genome Diversity Project based on the belief that not all Native communities had been fully informed of the potential end uses of the information gathered.
Dukepoo made his views known in discussion and advisory meetings in 1998. He mentioned how the scope of research was aspirational, yet how little representation was happening from Native Americans within this research. Native Americans made up less than 1 percent of professionals with a connection to genetics during this period. He made his point about how Native Americans were underrepresented within genomic research, with implications for how research was approached for consent and governance.
In addition, Dukepoo was an author of analytical writings that examined genetic ethics from an Indigenous perspective. He was involved in writing educational and policy-oriented publications, such as Indigenous People, Genes and Genetics: What Indigenous People Should Know About Biocolonialism, which was published by the Indigenous Peoples Council on Biocolonialism. This publication examined issues of genetic sampling, patenting, and data reuse in simple terms so that communities could exercise their right to choose whether or not to participate in research.
In terms of scholarship, Dukepoo’s work brought together ethics and genetics services. His publication in 1998, ‘Genetic Services in the New Era: Native American Perspectives,’ published in Community Genetics, examined ways in which counseling and screening programs could incorporate cultural values. This was a particularly relevant time because genetic counseling models had been fairly standard across the board when he wrote about taking into account historical skepticism and Political Status when developing these services.
His reach also included institutions operating within the realm of science and Indigenous rights. Dukepoo consulted institutions such as colleges, non-profit organizations, and governmental institutions regarding the formulation of research principles that considered Indigenous data sovereignty. These developments were part of a broader discourse, which would contribute to the formulation of research principles within tribes and IRBs. It is evident that by the early 2000s, institutions began to demand more concerning the principles of consent within studies involving Native populations.
Education played a central role in sustaining these ethical frameworks. Dukepoo conducted workshops and lectures across the United States, often addressing scientists unfamiliar with Indigenous governance structures. He also mentored Native students entering health and science fields, emphasizing the importance of ethical literacy alongside technical training. During the 1990s, Native enrollment in graduate science programs remained disproportionately low, making mentorship a critical factor in building future representation.
By the time of his death on October 27, 1999, Dukepoo’s critiques had become reference points within bioethics literature and policy discussions. Scholars examining genetic research ethics frequently cited Indigenous objections to projects like the Human Genome Diversity Project as foundational case studies. The professional record of Frank Charles Dukepoo illustrates how ethical frameworks in genetics evolved through sustained engagement between science, policy, and Indigenous rights.
