And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/1999/07/070899/kennewick_4167.asp Team urges more tests on Kennewick Man Thursday, July 8, 1999 The scientific team includes, (standing in the rear) Terry Millitello, left, Michael Trimble, Frank McManamon, (Seated in the rear) Rhonda Lueck, left, Vicki Cassman, Gary Huckleberry, Laura Phillips, Julie Stein ( and seated front) Joe Powell, Jerry Rose and John Fagan. The road to being laid to rest has just gotten longer for Kennewick Man. The Department of the Interior July 1 recommended additional testing of the skeletal remains. Kennewick Man's remains were found in the Columbia River at Kennewick, Wash., in 1996. Nearly 400 bones and bone fragments were scattered on land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Originally estimated as about 9,200 years old with possible Caucasoid features, the tug of war for control of the remains began almost immediately. Five Indians tribes claimed the remains under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990, wanting them returned for proper burial. A group of archaeologists and paleo-anthropologists claimed their historical value was such that NAGPRA doesn't apply. The corps turned the bones over to the Department of Interior, the statutory agency responsible for determining whether the remains fall under NAGPRA, and the scientists sued. The recommendation that the bones need further testing to help determine chronological age and cultural affiliation is bound to please no one. The recommendation came in a quarterly status report filed in U.S. District Court in Portland, Ore. The initial analysis was confined to non-invasive measures. The DOI team was able to determine that the bone fragments came from a single individual, but were unable to provide an accurate chronological date for the skeletal remains. The date is important because the department classifies all finds, bones and objects, as Native American if they are older than documented European exploration � essentially, older than about 500 years. Even if a chronological determination is made designating Kennewick Man as Native American, a second, and more complex question will need to be answered to meet NAGPRA criteria for the return of remains. Proving cultural affiliation with any modern-day tribe will involve assessing archaeological information, oral and documented histories of Columbia Basin tribes and any other relevant information. Congress passed NAGPRA to end the practice of archaeologists' and physical anthropologists' unrestricted excavation of Indian burial sites and requires tribal consent to excavate or study Native American human remains. Most Native Americans believe that human remains are sacred and once buried should remain there. The Department of the Interior expects that the judge in the case will accept their recommendation for further testing. The department plans to consult with the five tribes presently and historically inhabiting the area where the remains were found, to determine how the tests, which will involve destruction of small amounts of bone, can be conducted while still respecting their religious beliefs. "There are those who will want more or different tests and there are those who want no further tests or examination at all," said Dr. Francis McManamon, DOI's chief archaeologist and leader of the scientific team studying Kennewick Man. "We are proceeding as deliberately and respectfully as we can." Other members of the scientific team included Dr. Joseph Powell of the University of New Mexico; Dr. Jerry Rose of the University of Arkansas; Dr. Julie Stein of the University of Washington; Dr. Gary Huckleberry of Washington State University and Dr. John Fagan, president of Archaeological Investigations Inc.; in Portland, Oregon. Their work was overseen by professional conservators Dr. Vicki Cassman of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas and Dr. Nancy Odegaard of the University of Arizona, under the direction of the chief curator for the U.S. Army Corps Dr. Michael Trimble Copyright 1999, Environmental News Network, All Rights Reserved Reprinted under the fair use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine of international copyright law. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit) Unenh onhwa' Awayaton http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/ &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
