Kennewick Man: UPDATE

Let's hope that the Ancient One will soon be repatriated, unharmed...

--ryan



Tribes Try New Legal Attack to Prevent Study of Ancient Skeleton

Associated Press
Sept. 10, 2004 12:30 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. - Northwest Indian tribes have gone to federal court to try to find another way to block study of the ancient skeleton known as Kennewick Man after scientists won an eight-year legal battle over the 9,300-year-old bones.

"This is a wholly different phase of litigation," said Rob Roy Smith, an attorney for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation.
The scientists and the government have yet to agree on a plan outlining the series of tests that would be conducted on the skeleton after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the claim by tribes that the remains were protected under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

The appeals court said the tribes could not establish a direct connection to remains that old.

But the tribes now argue their "oral traditions and beliefs" are enough to show a cultural link to the skeleton.

Alan Schneider, an attorney for the scientists, said the tribes are simply using other legal means to achieve their original goal of preventing any testing.

"We're eight years down the road here," Schneider said. "If they felt they needed to be parties to the case, they should have joined eight years ago."

The tribes participated in the original lawsuit as "friends of the court" but not as a full party. Smith said the tribes hope to prevent certain specific study activities that would destroy the bones.