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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2002

The Confederated Grand Ronde Tribes of Oregon and the American Museum of Natural History in New York settled an ownership dispute in June 2000 regarding a meteorite considered sacred in Clackama culture.

The tribes agreed to drop claims to the 15 1/2-ton Willamette meteorite known to the Clackama as Tomanowos, or Sky Person, in exchange for access. But what they didn't know, apparently, was that the museum had carved off chunks and traded them.

Some of those pieces have now been sold, which has brought objections from the tribes. One buyer purchased a piece to give to the tribes.

Get the Story:
Sacred Meteorite Offered to Tribe (AP 2/13)
Uproar Over a Sliced, and Revered, Meteorite (The New York Times 2/14)
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Relevant Links:
Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community: http://www.grandronde.org
The American Museum of Natural History: http://www.amnh.org

Related Stories:
Meteorite agreement reached (6/23)