Kennewick Man Author’s Point of View Analysis
Read the following FIVE passages and analyze each of them using
the following graphic organizer.
Keep in mind the I Can Statements:
 I can determine author’s point of view or purpose and analyze
how the author distinguishes his or her opinion.
 I can trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims,
assessing whether reasoning is sound.
 I can analyze how two or more authors writing about the same
topic shape their presentations of key information.
Why do scientists want to
study Kennewick Man?
C. Loring Brace
Curator of Biological Anthropology and
Professor of Anthropology, University of
Michigan
The questions "Why do scientists want to
study Kennewick Man" and "What would I
personally hope to learn from the study of
Kennewick Man" are essentially the same
from my point of view.
The Kennewick skeleton is one of the oldest
and most complete human specimens found
in the Western Hemisphere and the only one
from the northwest edge of the continent,
which was almost certainly close to the route
taken by the earliest humans to enter the
continent. All the archeological and biological
evidence points to a Northeast Asian origin
for the original human occupants of the
Western Hemisphere, but there is increasing
reason to believe that different entrants came
at different times and derived from different
Asian sources. Who were those sources?
When did their offshoots come to the
Americas? And which Native Americans are
derived from which of those sources? Only by
studying the remains of the earliest
Americans and comparing them to recent and
living Native Americans and to recent Asians
can we ever provide answers to these
questions.
While Cohanim priests can trace their male
lineage back several thousand years using Ychromosome analysis, no one alive today can
trace his or her heritage back as far as the
9,000-year-old Kennewick Man.
Just because some government officials claim
that any ancient skeleton is Native American
by their definition does not justify turning it
over to one or more groups of modern Native
Americans, who may have no close
relationship (or any at all) to the skeleton.
The old European-American assumption that
"if you've seen one Indian, you've seen them
all" is a gross misrepresentation of reality.
Although both the Navajo and the Hopi are
Native American groups in the American
Southwest, when Harvard University
returned the burials from Pecos Pueblo that
had been in the Peabody Museum in
Cambridge, Massachusetts, it did not turn
those skeletons over to the Navajo but only to
Pueblo groups related to the Hopi, because in
that particular case, the historical knowledge
of who was related to whom was known. In
the case of Kennewick, however, such
information is not known.
In Polynesia, oral traditions preserve a
general knowledge of population
relationships going back some 2,000 years.
Where written records are kept, one can trace
actual relationships back even further than
that, as with the descendants of Confucius. Ychromosome records have shown the
continuity of the Cohanim, the Jewish
priesthood, via the founding priests of
migrant Jewish settlements. But none of these
forms of evidence goes back as far in time as
the date of Kennewick Man or the roots of the
initial settlers in the New World. If we simply
bury the evidence, we will never be able to
answer the questions of origins and
relationships.
Skeletal Remains are a Valuable
Source of Scientific Information
George W. Gill
Professor of Anthropology, University of Wyoming
Why do we feel we should be able to study Kennewick
Man? Ancient human skeletal remains are a valuable
source of scientific information and are protected as
archeological resources under federal law (the
Archaeological Resources Protection Act). As a trained
physical anthropologist at a state institution, I have the
legal and ethical responsibility to curate, study, protect,
and sometimes repatriate the human skeletons that
come to my laboratory. From human skeletons, we can
derive information relating to human diseases, injury,
warfare, origins, migrations, and gene flow. The more
ancient skeletons as well as the better preserved ones
tend to be more important skeletons scientifically
because of the vast amount of new information that
they can provide.
Kennewick Man may be one of the most important
skeletons ever unearthed in North America. It is a very
ancient skeleton and therefore not a close relative of
any human alive today. Thus, claims of cultural or
biological affinity by any group existing today are so
tenuous that they should not be allowed to prevent
scientific study of this important find. The skeleton
should remain in the domain of all humanity and not be
claimed by any single federal agency or any single
religious or cultural group. It should be studied by all
qualified scientists whose research might be able to
provide new knowledge from the secrets that these
ancient bones contain.
Kennewick Man, whose reconstructed skull is shown
here, should remain in the public domain, Gill feels.
What do I personally expect to learn from studying the
Kennewick skeleton? I am a forensic anthropologist
with a research focus on skeletal race attribution
(learning ancestry from bone traits). Most of the
successful methods that I have developed and
published in leading journals relate to distinguishing
American Indians from whites skeletally. Certain single
approaches are over 90 percent accurate in separating
modern whites from modern American Indians.
Interestingly, traits of both of these populations are
found among individuals of the early Archaic and
Paleo-Indian period. Certainly the Kennewick skeleton
should be assessed with regard to these trait
occurrences.
These are not the multivariate, cranial-measurement
approaches used by most other physical anthropologists
who study ancestry. They constitute a somewhat
independent approach. My approach would provide
another independent means of determining ancestry
through a combination of different kinds of trait
evaluations. In short, my approach will hopefully
provide us with insight to help answer the question of
who Kennewick Man's closest relatives were in regard
to the major racial elements of today.
Claims for the Remains
D. Gentry Steele
Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M
University
I strongly believe in the importance and
value of the scientific examination of our
earliest prehistoric ancestors. Today's study
of humanity's natural history has clearly
documented the decency of human
conquest of the last of Earth's landmasses.
While we can trace our human lineage more
than two million years back in time, the
colonization of the New World, and the
islands of the Pacific Rim—the last chapters
in our global dispersal—are relatively much
more recent events, having occurred within
the last several thousand years in the case
of the Pacific islands.
The actions of these last pioneers were
inexorably interwoven with and dependent
upon those who went before, and because
of this, are an integrated part of our life
history. When and how the last of the
Earth's landmasses were occupied, by
whom, and how the processes of biological
change marked humanity's last global
pioneers are questions of interest to all. I
also strongly believe that understanding our
shared life history will ultimately help us
appreciate our commonality.
Without scientific investigation of early
remains such as Kennewick Man (part of
whose skull is shown above), we would have
no knowledge of our prehistory, Steele
maintains.
The recovery and interpretation of our
prehistory has been accomplished through
scientific investigation of those biological
and cultural remains that have survived the
erosion of time. Without the scientific
investigation of this first line of evidence, we
would have no knowledge of our prehistory,
yet the most ancient remains are too few,
and typically incomplete or even
fragmentary. Because we view our ancient
past through the destructive filter of time,
each new site where human remains are
recovered is of incalculable importance.
Therefore, the scientific study of remains
such as Kennewick Man, Wizard's Beach,
and Spirit Cave should be thorough,
carefully done, and verified by other
scholars.
Verifying our analyses is the foundation
upon which all science is built. Without
verification, the analyses are suspect at best,
and at worst, ignored. This process of
verification does not imply a lack of
confidence in the work of the initial
scholars. Rather, it is recognition that
scientists gather and interpret scientific
evidence within the context of a particular
theoretical framework and perspective.
Verification of a scientist's studies provides
assurance that data supportive of alternative
interpretations are gathered. Without this
verification, scientific analysis is incomplete.
Former Tribal Chair
Questions Scientists'
Motives and Credibility
By Don Sampson
(former) Board of Trustees Chairman
for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation\
November 21, 1997
Most American Indians do not appreciate having the
graves of our ancestors disturbed and their remains
dissected and studied in the name of science. This
practice, generally supported by non-Indian society,
has come to the forefront over the past year and a half
with the unearthing of a skeleton near present-day
Kennewick, Washington. The media and the public
have come to know this individual as Kennewick
Man.
We have tried to explain to the public and scientists
that our religious and cultural beliefs mandate that we
rebury the remains of this individual as soon as
possible. Many people don’t seem to care about, or
respect, our religious beliefs. So, rather than present
those points again, I will take this opportunity to
briefly address some of the scientific issues of this
case.
We do not believe the issues surrounding this case
are, in any manner, related to scientific facts. Rather,
the issues are the result of an effort of a small group
of scientists, through a media campaign, to lay claim
to materials which Congress did not intend they have.
In their media campaign, the scientists have led the
public to believe they can produce considerable data
by studying this individual, including knowledge of
the earliest peoples of this continent. In an article
published last summer in The New Yorker magazine,
scientists claim they already know a great deal about
Kennewick Man. They think he may have been a
fisherman who ate lots of salmon, that he was
probably a tall, good-looking man, slender and well
proportioned, that he was part of a small band of
people who moved about, hunting, fishing, and
gathering wild plants, that he may have lived in a
simple sewn tent or mat hut, and that he may have
worn tailored clothing.
The federal court, the Corps of Engineers, and the
public should be asking the scientists to demonstrate
how they can tell these things. These descriptions of
the scientific "knowledge" obtained by the scientists
is purely speculation and hypothesis, and do not
advance our knowledge of this person, or mankind, a
single bit. Almost anyone seeing an old skeleton in
that area could have reached the same conclusions
without destructive tests like the scientists want to
perform.
These scientists are alleging that racial origins can be
determined by examining the skeleton. But it is
common knowledge among good anthropologists that
it is impossible to determine the so-called "race" of
an individual. A sample group is needed so that
common traits can be determined.
The Kennewick Man remains were examined by Dr.
Grover Krantz and there have been indications, using
outdated techniques, that the skull has some
"Caucasoid" features, some "Native American"
features and a "Negroid" feature. Even following the
19th century science used by Dr. Krantz, there are 3
possible origins.
Dr. Grover Krantz has been regarded primarily as an
expert on the "Big Foot" or "Sasquatch." From what
we understand, his research is regarded by many of
his colleagues as far from the mainstream of
anthropology.
We also question the credibility and methodology of
other scientists involved in the initial studies of
Kennewick Man. Why hasn’t a detailed report been
compiled from those initial studies? Where is the
statement of work and description of the
methodology used? Were the studies conducted in
accordance with the Archaeological Resources
Protection Act (ARPA) as they should have been?
The "scientific case" for requiring the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers to allow testing of these remains
is, in our viewpoint, shaky to non-existent.
We want the public and scientists to understand that
we do not reject science. In fact, we have
anthropologists and other scientists on staff, and we
use science every day to help in protecting our people
and the land. However, we do reject the notion that
science is the answer to everything and therefore it
should take precedence over the religious rights and
beliefs of American citizens.
Donald Sampson served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for
the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation from
1993 to Dec. 1997, when he decided not to run for re-election. He
has a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from the University of Idaho.
Human Remains Should Be
Reburied
By Armand Minthorn
Board of Trustees member and religious leader
with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation
Sept. 1996
In the summer of 1996 a human burial, believed
to be about 9,000 years old, was discovered
near Columbia Park in Kennewick, Washington.
Scientists and others want to study this
individual. They believe that he should be
further desecrated for the sake of science, and
for their own personal gain. The people of my
tribe, and four other affected tribes, strongly
believe that the individual must be re-buried as
soon as possible.
My tribe has ties to this individual because he
was uncovered in our traditional homeland -- a
homeland where we still retain fishing, hunting,
gathering, and other rights under our 1855
Treaty with the US Government.
Like any inadvertent discovery of ancestral
human remains, this is a very sensitive issue for
me and my tribe. Our religious beliefs, culture,
and our adopted policies and procedures tell us
that this individual must be re-buried as soon as
possible. Our elders have taught us that once a
body goes into the ground, it is meant to stay
there until the end of time.
It is not our practice to publicize these types of
discoveries, both for the protection of the
individual as well as sensitivity to our tribal
members. In this case, however, we must take
the opportunity this incident has created to
help educate the general public about the laws
governing these discoveries and what these
discoveries mean to us, as Indians. We also
hope to give people a better understanding of
why this is such a sensitive issue.
The Native American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and Archaeological
Resources Protection Act (ARPA), as well as
other federal and state laws, are in place to
prevent the destruction of, and to protect,
human burials and cultural resources. The laws
also say that authorities must notify affected
Tribes and consult with tribal officials on how to
handle the discovery, as well as protection and
preservation. Our Tribe was not properly
notified and if we had been, this difficult
situation might have been avoided.
Under the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act, tribes are allowed to file a
claim to have ancestral human remains
reburied. My tribe has filed a claim for this
individual and when it is approved, we will
rebury him and put him back to rest.
In filing this claim, we have the support of the
four other tribes who potentially have ties to
this individual. These tribes are the Yakama,
Nez Perce, Colville, and Wanapum. We share
the same religious belief, traditional practices,
as well as oral histories that go back 10,000
years.
If this individual is truly over 9,000 years old,
that only substantiates our belief that he is
Native American. From our oral histories, we
know that our people have been part of this
land since the beginning of time. We do not
believe that our people migrated here from
another continent, as the scientists do.
We also do not agree with the notion that this
individual is Caucasian. Scientists say that
because the individual’s head measurement
does not match ours, he is not Native American.
We believe that humans and animals change
over time to adapt to their environment. And,
our elders have told us that Indian people did
not always look the way we look today.
Some scientists say that if this individual is not
studied further, we, as Indians, will be
destroying evidence of our own history. We
already know our history. It is passed on to us
through our elders and through our religious
practices.
Scientists have dug up and studied Native
Americans for decades. We view this practice as
desecration of the body and a violation of our
most deeply-held religious beliefs. Today
thousands of native human remains sit on the
shelves of museums and institutions, waiting for
the day when they can return to the earth, and
waiting for the day that scientists and others
pay them the respect they are due.
Our tribal policies and procedures, and our own
religious beliefs, prohibit scientific testing on
human remains. Our beliefs and policies also
tell us that this individual must be re-buried as
soon as possible.
Our religion and our elders have taught us that
we have an inherent responsibility to care for
those who are no longer with us. We have a
responsibility to protect all human burials,
regardless of race. We are taught to treat them
all with the same respect.
Many people are asking if there’s any chance
for a compromise in this issue. We remind them
that not only has this individual already been
compromised, but our religious beliefs have
once again been compromised. Many nonIndians are looking for a compromise -- a
compromise that fits their desires.
And, many non-Indians are trying to bend the
laws to fit their desires. The Native American
Graves Protection and Repatriation Act was
passed by Congress in 1990 to protect Native
American burials and set in place a mechanism
to have human remains and artifacts returned
to the tribes.
We are trying to ensure that the federal
government lives up to its own laws, as well as
honoring our policies, procedures, and religious
beliefs. We understand that non-Indian cultures
have different values and beliefs than us, but I
ask the American people to please understand
our stance on this issue. We are not trying to be
troublemakers, we are doing what our elders
have taught us -- to respect people, while
they’re with us and after they’ve become part
of the earth.