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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2002

"Thanks to an Aug. 30 federal court ruling, Kennewick Man soon might be able to share some of these answers and help tell the story of the earliest Americans.

U.S. Magistrate John Jelderks, the referee of this battle between science and Native American beliefs, disagreed strongly with the government. His 73-page ruling called the decision "arbitrary and capricious" and determined the repatriation law does not apply. Jelderks ordered the scientists be permitted to study the remains.

Government attorneys aren't saying yet whether they'll appeal. But they shouldn't. And the Interior Department's NAGPRA Review Committee, which is in the process of drafting rules to handle these culturally unidentifiable remains, should carefully consider the conclusions of Jelderks' meticulous ruling. The committee's next meeting is Nov. 10-11 in Seattle, and it had planned to consider a proposed rule that would give such remains to the tribes that have lived in the area where they were found. . ."

Get the Story:
Kate Riley: Kennewick Man: mediator between past and future (The Seattle Times 9/9)

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

Related Stories:
Shame on Kennewick Man judge (9/6)
Opinion: Kennewick Man belongs to all (9/5)
Editorial: DOI blew it on Kennewick Man (9/5)
Scientists prepare Kennewick plan (9/4)
Judge won't repatriate Kennewick Man (9/3)
An ancient Indian trust debacle (9/3)
Judge readies decision in Kennewick Man case (6/21)
Norton treads uncharted waters over remains (4/11)
Kennewick Man to go to tribes (09/26)
Leaders discuss NAGPRA (7/27)
Yakama Nation files Kennewick Man suit (6/01)
Kennewick testing to begin (4/24)