KENNEWICK MAN

June 2001
		Who owns the bones of a 9,000-year-old skeleton? Three experts answer questions about the fate of Kennewick Man.

Online Special Kennewick Man Questions in this forum: What evidence links Kennewick Man to modern tribes? What's the harm in studying or not studying the bones? Does science have a right to study any subject? Is this battle actually a philosophical disagreement?         National Park Service Kennewick Man site Burke Museum in Seattle Tri-City (Wash.) Herald Kennewick Man site NOVA first Americans special Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Friends of America's Past	What harm done? What harm will be done if the bones are subjected to anthropological study? What harm will be done if study of the bones is not allowed? Joseph R. Cullom, Greeley, Colo. James Chatters, archaeologist: From a physical standpoint, studies to be requested by the plaintiff scientists will inflict little harm on the skeleton, far less than inflicted upon it by government attempts to prevent the studies. Plaintiff scientists plan to request no destructive studies (i.e. studies that chemically or physically break down bone). Handling, even with great care, is likely to cause minor chips to break from fragile bone fragments. Fortunately, however, this skeleton is in an unusual state of preservation and such breakage would be less than usually occurs. At this point, I remind the reader that the government has overseen handling of the remains on at least nine occasions, involving dozens of people handling bones individually. The harm that will be done if study is not allowed goes far beyond Kennewick Man. Kennewick Man appears to be part of an early American population that is no longer recognizable, either genetically or culturally. Either they have been genetically swamped by later arrivals to this hemisphere or they have become extinct. The only way humanity at large will learn about these heretofore unrecognized people, the only way they will achieve a place in the history of our species, is for scientific study to be conducted, study that is as independent of the political process as possible. On a more temporal level, if study of Kennewick Man is not allowed, it sets two dangerous precedents. First, it places all other very ancient American skeletons and artifact collections at risk of reburial by whatever tribe can bring up a myth that can be conceived as linking them to remote time. This threatens the heritage of all future generations of Americans, those of Indian and non-Indian background alike. Second, and more importantly, it sets a precedent of government making decisions on the basis of religious belief. It is a short step indeed between denying study of Kennewick Man and prohibiting the teaching of evolutionary theory in schools. Audie Huber, tribal spokesman: The Ancient One has already had at least four carbon dates done, three DNA tests and a host of other examinations. If you would like to see a comparison between the plaintiffs' suggested testing that those tests that have been conducted, the results are at: http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/kennewick/encl_2.HTM The harm that will be done, the harm that has been done, is the destruction of the tested remains and the damaging of relations between tribes and scientists. Irrespective of NAGPRA, the plaintiff scientists have individually alleged that they have a right superior to that of the tribes in order to undertake duplicative, destructive studies on a tribal ancestor in order to pursue their careers. The tribes believe that NAGPRA guaranteed our basic human right to protect our ancestors from these types of actions. NAGPRA was enacted to correct a great injustice that was inflicted upon tribes for centuries by scientists who robbed tribal graves, stole tribal artifacts and turned our ancestors into dehumanized objects of study. The plaintiff scientists have compared these remains to a book they can read. The Ancient One is not a book, he is a tribal ancestor and scientists within the U.S. Department of Interior agree that he is culturally affiliated to the claimant tribes. To allow this type of desecration to one ancestor is to open the door to duplicative, unnecessary studies on every tribal ancestor. We don't want to return to the well documented violations of tribal rights that NAGPRA was enacted to end. If scientists wish to study tribal ancestors, they must work with the tribes, not run to court alleging that their rights to study deserve more respect than our human rights to protect our ancestors. Roger Downey, journalist: It depends on what you call "harm." Is someone "harmed" by being forced to see something offensive to them, or know that something they find objectionable is taking place, even though they themselves are not the object of the practice? Is it "harmful" to the human race in general if some information about its former distribution over the face of the earth is lost? These questions deal with values, not facts, and no one can answer questions of value for another. The Kennewick case, however, is about interpretation of the law; a very different matter. It is worth emphasizing that, law or no law, the Kennewick bones have already been subjected to exhaustive study. I think it unlikely that further study, given the present state of science, would yield much more information.