Kennewick Man

On July 28, 1996, the random discovery of a skull on the banks of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington changed the climate of archaeology. Discovered by two teenagers and initially examined by James Chatters, forensic anthropologist, this skull had many characteristics indicating its Caucasian origin. Characteristics of the skull's teeth, however, suggested an extremely old specimen (around 5,000 years). Finding bones with Caucasian characteristics is not an unusual occurrence; however, potential dating of the bones to precontact times is certainly uncommon in North America. This incongruity became more pronounced after the recovery and examination of the remaining skeletal elements.

The analysis of the almost-complete skeleton suggested that the bones belonged to a 40- to 50-year-old male with Caucasoid features who was approximately 5 feet, 9 inches tall and had sustained injuries throughout his life. In his right pelvis was embedded a projectile point resembling those manufactured and used by the people who inhabited the Columbia Plateau between 4,500 and 9,000 years ago. This puzzle became increasing difficult for Chatters to solve; as a result, he decided to send a small piece of bone for radiocarbon dating in order to get a better sense of the age of the skeleton. The results of the radiocarbon dating came as a shock, making “Kennewick Man” one of the oldest skeletons in North America and beginning a seemingly never-ending battle over the specimen.

Because Kennewick Man was discovered on a portion of the Columbia River that is federal land maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) came into play. NAGPRA was signed into law in 1990; it essentially states that if human remains are found on federal lands and their cultural affiliation can be established, those remains and associated grave goods must be returned to the affiliated tribe. The same portion of the Columbia River is also considered to be part of traditional homeland by the Umatilla tribe, as well as several other tribes in the area. As a result, by September of 1996, five tribes (Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce, Colville, and Wanapum) had jointly made a formal claim to the Kennewick Man skeletal remains. At this point, scientific study of the skeleton was halted. The Army Corps of Engineers took possession of the skeleton and announced intended repatriation of the bones to the alliance of tribes.

In October of 1996, eight well-known scientists sued to gain access to the Kennewick Man remains. Citing civil rights violations, a lack of due process, and the lack of definitive affiliation with any single Native American tribe (especially given the presence of several traits more consistent with Europeans), these scientists argued the necessity of studying the skeleton in order to determine ancestry and to allow the entire American public access to knowledge about its past. For the Native American tribes, Kennewick Man represented an ancestor, whose bones are sacred and who deserved reburial; for archaeologists, the skeleton represented a piece of potentially significant information in ongoing research on the peopling of the North American continent.

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