We have previously discussed the controversy over Kennewick man, the 9,000 year old skeleton found along the bank of the Columbia River eighteen years ago. Putting aside the fact that the date of the skeleton once again contradicts those who believe that the Earth is only a few thousand years old, it also represented a major scientific find. Scientists stated that the skeleton did not appear to be Native American, but Native American groups insisted that under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) they had a right to take possession of the skeleton and stop any further scientific work at the site. To the astonishment of many (particularly in the academic world), Army Corps of Engineers sided with the tribe and fought to give the non-Native American skeleton to the local tribe and dumped 2 million pounds of dirt and planted several thousand trees on top of Kennewick Man’s burial site to stop further scientific work. Now, the results are in. Kennewick Man is not Native American but the Corps is continuing to defend its absurd position and its obstruction of important scientific work.
Forensic anthropologist Doug Owsley of the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History believe that KM was an immigrant who traveled in boats from Polynesia, along the coasts of Japan, Russia, Alaska, Canada and eventually up the Columbia River. There may be more evidence in the area but the Corps has succeeded in destroying what could be unique evidence of the earliest groups in North America. It is the triumph of thoughtless bureaucrats over science.
Scientists had to take the Corps to court and the Corps was criticized by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Jelderks of having “prejudged the outcome” to side with Indian tribes. The Corps and the tribes were proven wrong. However, the Corps is still saying that it acted correctly. Bizarrely, the Corps says that it does not matter if this is not a Native American gravesite under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Jennifer Richman of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stated “We are very sensitive to the facts the tribes view the remains as being very significant. The tribes view the remains as their ancestor.” That is quite a subjective standard. It would turn the Act into de facto ownership of any skeleton and accompanying artifacts found in such areas. The tribe was wrong. Its “view” of the KM being an ancestor is baseless. Yet, the Corps would reject all science and logic in barring scientists from working on such critical sites.
Kennewick Man is currently being kept away from the public in Seattle’s Burke Museum — safe from the hands of the U.S. Corps of Engineers.
Source: Smithsonian
Reblogged this on just4craig.
I don’t know if this was a factor but perhaps it could be:
In 1987 at East Wenatchee, (a town located about 130 miles from Kennewick) a number of Clovis points and other artifacts were discovered buried beneath an apple orchard. An archeological excavation ensured resulting in a large row with the Colville Confederated Tribes. Here is some basic information which does not detail the significance of the controversy however.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wenatchee_Clovis_Site
itchinBayDog here. We have a poodle in the dogpack named Francois. She will not bark in English. No dogs can understand her and the Dogalogue Machine can not translate when she barks into it.
maybe Owsley has been into the Blue Cheer?
It is odd how humans in America come around to characterizing themselves. Negro and Black are no longer acceptable words and we have African American. Native American does not tell us which tribes and some tribes do not like each other. Recently a guy in the Ferguson dispute termed himself a European American. Well I am a Dog American. And a Dog Democrat. And by Dog do not ever call me an Irish Setter.
What in the world does feminism or liberalism or any ‘ism’ have to do with this? Do people wake up in the morning and look out the window and if it’s cloudy blame liberalism or some feminist? This is getting beyond ridiculous.
Monte Verde disputes the Clovis first theory
The dating of the organic materials was at 14,000 years before the present. This conflicted with other archaeological evidence of the settlement of North America, such as the artifacts that supported Clovis theory… none of which had dates earlier than 13,000 years ago. To have people living in Chile 14,000 years ago would have meant that people arrived in the Americas earlier than 13,000 years ago.
http://anthropology.net/2008/05/08/earliest-known-archaeological-evidence-of-americans-found-in-monte-verde-chile/
Not to dispute that there wasn’t a migration across the Bering Strait and into the central portion of the continental US….. in the time frame postulated in that theory….there was. However, unless those migrants immediately set out on a super highway south, through Mexico, through Central America, through and across the Andes, without stopping, there is no way that that group of migrants could have arrived and settled in Monte Verde. Perhaps they took the coastal route, which is antithesis to the Bering Strait theory and which is also a theory now supported by evidence found on the East Coast for pre Clovis migration from Europe, like before 20,000 BC.
Pet theories are nice. Claiming that they are settled science and SHUT UP and destroying or discounting conflicting evidence is not nice NOR is it scientific
Since at least 1900, the prevailing theory had been that human colonization began at the end of the last Ice Age about 13,000 years ago, when groups of big game hunters, called the Clovis culture, followed herds from Siberia to Alaska over a land bridge across the Bering Strait and then gradually spread southward. None of the Clovis artifacts were dated earlier than 13,000 years ago. So having a substantially older human settlement in southern Chile was difficult to reconcile with this view.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508143324.htm
@ Jack
In the sense that the theories are “settled science”……in the shut up and don’t rock the boat sense……in the any new evidence will be suppressed sense ……because we said so and SHUT UP sense?.
Um….yup?
Is it just me or does anyone else see the obvious parallel to climate change?
DBQ and Tony,
I had the same reaction. It had no merit in the thread.
Absence of critical-thinking skills should now be called: Grubered
Thank you Tony Viera. I thought the same thing as well. Really…..how many people actually think that the world was created a few thousand years ago???? Why bother to bring up that tired old dead horse to beat.
And to Cat….you are 100% correct. The reason to suppress any evidence of pre existing populations before the current Native American Indians migrated over the Bering Strait is to try to maintain their victim status.
If it can be shown that they were just one in a long line of migrants who moved in and either killed or merged with the existing populations, then it shows that they are no more and no less exploiters than the Europeans who did the same thing.
THIS is the way of the world. One group moves in and takes over and kills and overwhelms the existing ones. The Native Americans want to contend that they are special and the ONLY ones EVER who didn’t do this.
There is a valid theory that goes against the hide bound and now suspect theory that the Native Americans came solely over the Bering Strait during a very small window in time. The Bering Strait only theory is being challenged.
Genetic markers and blood analysis in Eastern Native Americans and hard evidence of migration from ice age Europe Over Atlantic Ice during the Solutrian period. http://www.amazon.com/Across-Atlantic-Ice-Americas-Culture/dp/0520227832 Much linking of the point types and similarities to the Solutrian and associated cultures with the early Clovis and even Pre Clovis points. Event the NYTimes is onto the deception —http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/science/25archeo.html?pagewanted=all—- (I hope I delinked this so my comment will post)
Much of the evidence that could be found is now under water due to the rising sea levels from the time of the ice ages and where the migrations and settlement camps were likely located. Note the location of the shore line during that period http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1075/images/sea.gif
There have also been discovered in various areas around old ice age lake beds evidence of human habitation and human remains before the supposed Bering Strait event.
The destruction of the evidence in not only Kennewick man and other areas is nothing more than a politically correct kow towing to current Native Americans. Destruction of scientific evidence because it doesn’t fit into your cultish world view or contradicts your beliefs…….sound familiar or similar to the flat earth or world is only X years old beliefs doesn’t it.
The question is really “why try to keep it a secret/out of the public’s eye? My thinking is it wrecks the victem story of Indians that they were the first here. If they were in a long history of other settlers and peoples then the victem story dies…..
Jonathan, saying things like “Putting aside the fact that the date of the skeleton once again contradicts those who believe that the Earth is only a few thousand years old…” is a lot like saying I know it’s not relevant to the article or the findings therein or even to my comment but I just can’t pass up the opportunity to gratuitously trash stupid Christian creationists. Of course I’ll be the sole voice of complaint here while a thousand compliant sheep will side up and, in unison, bleat the same bland and ill-considered tune as do you. And I’ll be back tomorrow to bitch again.
I’ve dabbled in anthropology. Interesting. Can a Stone Age isolated Indian tribe take a 21st century joke? If not, run because they will shoot 6 foot long arrows at you.
But they do have a sense of humor. No internet, TV, news or any outside contact. The jokes start at the 3:16 mark. See for your self in this video.
http://globotv.globo.com/rede-globo/profissao-reporter/v/indios-isolados-na-amazonia-peruana-fazem-contato-parte-2/3680579/
Something many of you may not know…the US Army Corps of Engineers is almost entirely project appropriation funded, hence they take their marching orders from politicians in Congress. This means they the Corps receives zero “general expense funding” except for the headquarters…a relatively small contingent within the Corps. Any problems with the Corps should be addressed to Congress, both parties…it is among the most bi-partisan elements of Congressional action.
No one is more displeased that the canals in Chicago have not been shut down than me, but just the fact Chicago even has a USACE office is testament to political sway from Congress….Chicago District covers least area of any I know of anywhere else…and they are redundant to Rock Island District. You still have Asian Carp jumping in the the un-natural bi-directionaldrainage because Congress directs it to be so. Trust me, the Corps nor the US Army as a whole of various elements act without Congressional approval of all funding. It is the carrot that precedes the stick if now kow-towed to politically.
Deborah…you want the fish issue solved, as I do, talk to Congress…as many as you can from the area impacted. Good luck.
Aridog – how many times have the Corps of Engineers screwed up the Mississippi River?
Haz, LOL! “Well sir, it’s the rug I had. It really tied the room together.”
Paul,
I’ve always thought extremists like Hitler were too outside the political mainstream to fall within conventional liberal-conservative camps.
People, be they conservative or liberal, who attempt to define well-meaning and mainstream people who disagree with them by comparing them to Nazis are being absurd and foolish.
Still, if you want to play this stupid game, I’ll go along.
Let’s start by examining a few ways in which Hitler and the Nazis are conservative.
1. Nazis outlawed abortion.
2. Nazis abolished existing firearm legislation upon taking power and encouraged gun ownership.
3. Nazis turned education over to the churches and promoted prayer in schools.
4. Nazis banned unions.
5. Nazis hated Communists and marked them for extermination.
6. Nazis hated liberalism and banned liberals from office, even sending tens of thousands into concentration camps.
7. Nazis seized power with the support of conservative businessmen.
8. Nazis promoted greater military spending.
9. Nazis were opposed to immigration.
10. Nazis insisted they were doing God’s will. Belt buckles worn by Nazi soldiers displayed the slogan “”Gott Mit Uns” – German for “God is with us.”
Larche – your handle on Hitler and National Socialism is slim.
The idea of there being native Americans is just wrong. There are no native Americans. The first humans who occupied what we now call the US and Canada were originally from what we now call Asia and Siberia. They most likely walked the frozen bridge from those continents, or paddled to the Aleutian Islands, the onto the continent. Either way, they didn’t spring fully formed from the earth on this continent.
Kennewick man looks a great deal like Lebowski, man.