Lawrence Bradley, a doctoral student in geography at the University of Nebraska, has found himself at the center of a dispute over the ownership of a 70-billion-year-old dinosaur fossil.

Bradley, a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, found out about the fossil by accident from a fellow student who said he was going to help excavate it. He then contacted the Santee Sioux Tribe, believing the site was located on the reservation.

But the University of Nebraska State Museum disagrees and says the fossil was discovered on land that was once part of the reservation but later allotted to a tribal member who sold it to a non-Indian.

The tribe is sticking by its claim, but doesn't want to take possession of the fossil. The tribe has met with the museum and state officials in hopes of having the museum acknowledge the tribe's ownership.

Get the Story:
An echo from the past (The Daily Nebraskan 2/10)

Relevant Links:
Santee Sioux Tribe - http://www.santeedakota.org

Related Stories:
Santee Sioux Tribe discusses dispute over fossil (11/17)
Neb. tribe wants ownership of fossil recognized (11/11)