A court decision allowing the study of a 9,000-year-old set of human remains "helps further the quest to determine just who first populated North America and when," The Christian Science Monitor says in an editorial.

But the paper says Congress "should look toward more precisely defining the intent" of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of 1990. "It will need to ensure a respect for the ancestral rights of native Americans and any tribe's desire to know more about its history," the paper says.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals last week held that Kennewick Man was not Native American due to his age and evidence that suggests he is not related to present-day Native people. A three-judge panel held that NAGPRA doesn't apply in such cases.

Get the Story:
What is 'native American'? (The Christian Science Monitor 2/11)

Get the Decision:
BONNICHSEN v. US (February 4, 2004)

Relevant Links:
Kennewick Man, Department of Interior - http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/kennewick
Friends of America's Past - http://www.friendsofpast.org
Kennewick Man Virtual Interpretive Center, The Tri-City (Washington) Herald - http://www.kennewick-man.com

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