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Introduction
The sighting of a 9,000 year old human skeleton near Kennewick, Washington has brought confusion between Native American community and the archeological scientists. David Hurst Thomas through his work in Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity, have shown the estrangement between archeologists and the Native Americans. The Skull War enlightens the fascinating story of archeologists, dealings with American Indians and the way they declined with the growth of scientific archeology. In addition to the reflective technical questions, the debate and resulting proceedings over Kennewick Man, revealed the issues of both sides. There was a wrong notion on the part of the Indians in understanding the techniques adopted by the archaeologists. They considered that the scientists were technically taking their past traditions and ancestral identities and remolding them in the form of Western Science (Skull Wars).
The finding of Kennewick man
The finding of Kennewick man was in 1996 during a boat race on the Columbia River near Kennewick, in Washington of northwestern United States. Two of the spectators to the race, pulled themselves near to the land to have a better view of the race. At the border of the bank they found a human skull, which they took to the province head. The human skull was handed over to the archaeologist, who along with the team went to the same spot and recovered the complete human skeleton with long narrow face that resembled a person of European descent. The features of the skeleton were confusing to the scientists when they noticed that the teeth had no cavities and it was enormously ground down. The studies revealed that the skeleton belonged to a person of age thirty to fifty. The cavities were the result of the usual sugar-enhanced diets which was consumed by the person. Though the grit in the diet is comparatively lesser the consumption of sugar in some or other form would have led to the deep cavities. The scientists also noticed a pellet point entrenched in his right pelvis. It was apparent that the point had been there while the individual was alive, because the wound in the bone had partly healed. To confirm how ancient the structure was, the scientists sent a small piece of the bone of the structure for further studies. And the study finally came with the result the man lived before 9,000 years old. The border of the Columbia River from where the skeleton was recovered belonged to the United States Army Corps of engineers and at the same time the Umatilla tribes considered the same spot as their traditional homeland. The Native American Graves and Repatriation Act signed by President George H.W Bush in 1990 brought out that in case any human remains are found on the federal land and their cultural relationship can be recognized then the remains need to be returned to the related tribes. The Umatilla’s made an official statement to the bones recovered, and the Army corps agreed with their statement and began the process of repatriation. But still there were many unresolved questions that needed to be solved by the scientists. It is assumed for the past thirty years that the evolution of mankind in the American continent took place around 12,000 years ago. It was done in three separate waves from three separate parts of the world. But the latest fact specifies an enormous complicated settlement pattern. A stable invasion of small groups from different parts of the world was done somewhat earlier than assumed. Some of these groups survived whereas the other groups vanished off. The political conflict over the Kennewick man was to know to what race he belonged to. But the conflict was that the evidence did not reflect the real race as what was thought of. The term race was meaningless considering the prehistory as long as 9,000 years and that too there was no scientific definition for the term race during that period (Hirst).
According to Skull War the Kennewick man’s skull was one of the oldest yet complete skeletons found in America. The confusing factor was that if the Kennewick man has many Caucasoid traits, then how an Indian tribe can claim the remains. To establish the relationship, more studies were done, because the bones were too ancient that it rightfully belonged to the American native than any other special group. Besides, if the Kennewick skeleton is locked away or reburied, the American natives will be deprived of the information of their past. The lawsuit also reflects that the corps has violated the 1866 Civil Rights Act. The law guarantees the nonwhites the same legal protection as of the whites. In Case the scientists were left without access due to race or traditions then their civil rights were being violated. Further scientific studies were blocked by the Army corps because the tribes claimed that it would violate their religious beliefs with the dead. In addition, the scientists who undertook the study revealed that the Kennewick man could not be related to any living or non-living tribe, moreover not with Indian people. To permit one tribe or with in the group of a tribe would violate the rights of all other Native Americans. The Kennewick man story took another turn when the Asatru Folk Assemble filed another charge. They are the north California based religious group who draw their pre-Christian ancestry to Scandinavian and Germanic tribes of Northern Europe. They sued to stop the American federal from handing over the bones to Indian claimants. They insisted to handover the bone to them for reburial. Due to this reason the Army corps kept the bones of the Kennewick man locked. Later Asatruans charged the corps for allowing the Indian unlawful right to the bones and handing over some parts for secret burial.
Though the final word on the Kennewick man is not heard, one thing is clear that the partly wounded man have enlightened deep vision on our views on ancient America. The Kennewick disagreement has been represented as yet another face between science and religion. Moreover the Skull War gives a partial equivalent battle between the bones and evolutionists-creationists struggle; and not more of science and religion. The argument was on control and power, not on philosophy. Additionally it discovered the probing and often violent relation between the American Indians and the non-Indians (Skull Wars Intro- DH Thomas.pdf).
Native American?
In case an individual is over 9,000 years old, then that authenticates our faith that he is a Native American. From past histories, it is known that citizens have been component of this territory since the beginning of time. Americans do not trust that their ancestors migrated here from other continents. They also do not agree with the observation that the individual is Caucasian. Scientists are of the view that as the individuals head measurement does not match American physique; the man is not a Native American. It is believed that humans and animals modify over time to adapt to their new atmosphere. Indian people also do not look the similar way they were in the past. Some Scientists states that if the individuals are not further studied, it will obliterate the evidence of our own past. They have studied Native Americans for years. This practice is viewed as judgment of the body and infringement of the religious beliefs. Native American ethnic policies and actions and spiritual beliefs forbid the scientific testing on human remains. Their values and policies reveal that the individual must be buried soon as possible. Most American Indians do not welcome having graves of their ancestors being troubled and their remains analyzed and studied in the name of science. This is mostly welcomed by the non-Indian society. They do not consider the matters related to the case in a mode connected to the scientific facts. The issues are effects of an attempt of a group of scientists, during a media campaign, to lie allege to materials, which the federal did not aim to have. These scientists are claiming that the racial genesis can be resolute by investigating the skeleton. But it is of general information among excellent anthropologists that it is unfeasible to determine the race of an individual. A model group is required, so that familiar characters can be detected (Kennewick- Minthorn and Sampson.pdf).
Conclusion
Some opponents criticize that too much hype has been give to the Kennewick man and moreover this publicity could have been spend else where. They entail that the claimants are to be blamed because they brought a charge. However they analyze that the happenings are unfavorable and it directs to end the critics favor. It has completely ignored the law and its intention and that it is somehow suitable that agencies are not even repentant that they have ignored the law. What is regrettable is that some scientists would place the responsibility for the debates on those who would stand up for fair claim of the law and resist agency’s misbehavior. Kennewick man has been portrayed almost exclusive in a non-technical manner. The lack of free technical information about the Kennewick man is the direct result of the Governments rejection to allow any one to have the right to the skeleton coupled with more than four years of agency interruption in determining the issue before the court. The internal department suggested that the Kennewick skeleton be repatriated without further study to the claiming tribes based on the environmental proximity and oral rituals. This decision to connect the remains with existing groups disregards the physical anthropological verdicts and tremendous gaps in the archeological records. This has been questioned by the claimants in the Federal court. It is believed that the scientists have the exact access to study the antique remains. The field of archeology and anthropology will be seriously injured by the need of contact to skeletons of the early inhabitants of North America. The lack of ability to study will be a disfavor to both modern Americans and to those Cultures from which early mankind evolved (Kennewick- Owsley and Jantz.pdf).
Works Cited
Hirst, Kris, K. What is the Kennewick Man Controversy About? Kennewick Man, Part 1. Web.
Kennewick- Minthorn and Sampson.pdf (reference provided by customer).
Kennewick- Owsley and Jantz.pdf (reference provided by customer).
Skull Wars: Kennewick Man, Archeology, and the Battle for Native American Identity. About this book. Web.
Skull Wars Intro- DH Thomas.pdf (reference provided by customer).
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