Anthropologists Back Native American Claims

University Of New Mexico ^ | 2-14-2007

[blam]

Anthropologists Back Native American Claims

The case of Kennewick Man – or the Ancient One – as Native Americans refer to him, dragged through the courts for years before Judge John Jelderks found that he could not be defined Native American under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

A recent case regarding repatriation of even older remains and artifacts from Spirit Cave, Nev., suggests that the Kennewick Man case should be used as a legal precedent and that the remains of Spirit Cave Man are not Native American.

Four University of New Mexico anthropologists have written an article where they suggest that a precedent in Paleoindian human remains is “inappropriate and unnecessary.” They claim that each case is unique and that repatriation determination should be handled case-by-case.

Heather Edgar, Maxwell Museum curator and assistant research professor in anthropology, is lead author on the article titled, “Contextual issues in Paleoindian repatriation: Spirit Cave Man as a case study,” featured in the Feb. 2007 issue Journal of Social Archaeology. Other authors from the Department of Anthropology are Edward Jolie, Joseph Powell and Joe Watkins.

Spirit Cave Man was found approximately 70 years ago on Bureau of Land Management land that is part of an area government documents refer to as “traditional tribal lands,” nevertheless the BLM says the remains are “unaffiliatable.” The Fallon-Paiute-Shoshone filed a lawsuit against the BLM because they consider him their ancestor. Carbon dating determined him to be older than Kennewick Man. DNA testing on both skeletons was inconclusive.

Edgar said that DNA testing is one determiner for affiliation. “Another way is by what artifacts are found with the remains,” Edgar said. Skeletal remains and one point in the hip is all that was found of Kennewick Man.

“Many artifacts or ‘perishables’ were found with Spirit Cave Man because of the arid condition in and around the cave, she said. “There were blankets, a burial shroud, bags, moccasins and a breechcloth,” Edgar said. The items are now in the Nevada State Museum.

Edgar is quick to point out that repatriation is moving away from being a polarizing issue. “This presents an unfair view of anthropology. All four of us who worked on this article think the amicus brief that ruled on Spirit Cave Man based on the Kennewick Man precedent is wrong,” she said. She noted that among them two are biological anthropologists, two are archaeologists, two are natives, two non-natives.

Jolie, who is a member of the Ogalala Lakota, said, “We must balance between respect to the profession and to the past.”

Edgar said that many tribes are beginning to recognize the value in DNA and other scientific testing in helping them piece together their own history.

Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales, (505) 277-5920; e-mail: cgonzal@unm.edu

[muawiyah]

Still, the laws of all nations recognize, either explicitly or implicitly, the right of ownership by conquest.

What you have regarding Israel is a failure by many to recognize that this has happened.

[norton]

"...rebury with a 500 foot granite pyramid on top and put a $5 admission sign over the entrance."

And invest in a few concrete statues and billboards along the interstate advertising the "Mystery Man" or "Missing link"....a couple of fake dinosaurs would be nice as well.

Heck, I've still got some of the phony indian blankets, plastic turquoise rings, and very bad kachinas that got carried home from vacation.

[Ptarmigan]

This whole Kennewick Man case is a waste of time. Kennewick Man is more than likely an Ainu. Ainus were among the first Americans to arrive, besides Australian Aborgines and Polynesians. The second wave would be Cro-Magnon Man, and last but not least, the Asians, which we see today.

[Ptarmigan]

I remember Blam posted an article about Samurais being Ainus. I've seen how Samurais are depicted and they remind me of Ainus. In the movie, Last Samurai, those Samurais were more Ainu than Japanese.

[muawiyah]

The Samurai are, at least in part, Emishi, and, at least in part, Ainu.

Depends to some degree on how you "count" the Ainu in the South in the 1300s.

The Samurai, however, are predominantly of the same ethnotype as the Emishi and Ainu (for whom there is both a geographic and cultural difference of serious note).

[blam]

"I remember Blam posted an article about Samurais being Ainus. I've seen how Samurais are depicted and they remind me of Ainus. In the movie, Last Samurai, those Samurais were more Ainu than Japanese."

The Samurai And The Ainu

[Ptarmigan]

Yes, that article. I remember seeing the book Last Samurai and the book cover of Saigō Takamori and the way he dressed looked like an Ainu.

[fish hawk]

I am what the PC call a "native American" but I always tell people that I am an American Indian, based on your point. Yet, I do believe and you do to, that your son is smart enough to know what is MEANT when someone says, "Native American".

[fish hawk]

European Newcomers. Nice choice of words, and true.

[SunkenCiv]

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