Kennewick Man, NAGPRA, and Politics

The battle for control of the past never ceases. Kennewick Man - the 9,300 year-old skeleton found in the state of Washington - is a case in point. These remarkably non-Indian, possibly European, remains were the subject of legal battles a few years back, and the AFA is proud to have played a role in that drama.

NAGPRA is the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act. The future of ancient skeletons found in North America hinges on how this law is interpreted. The Senate is now considering legislation that would change NAGPRA’s wording, and according to some, make it harder for scientists to study any future kin of Kennewick Man that might be unearthed.

The intricacies of the current dispute are the subject of the links that follow.

To read an article about the controversy, go to http://www.friendsofpast.org/ .

For the text of the Senate bill that would change the wording of NAGPRA, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ , select the “Bill Number” option in the search field, and enter the number S.2087.

For a description of an opposing bill introduced by Congressman Doc Hastings, go to

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1013&dept_id=387710&newsid=19246944&PAG=461&rfi=9