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Interior: Kennewick Man belongs to tribes
Is he Asian? Polynesian? Caucasian? Cablanasian?
He's Native American. And he belongs to five
tribes in the Northwest, according to
the Department of Interior. After four years
of debate, the Interior this week concluded that Kennewick Man
is culturally affiliated to the Colville,
Umatilla, Yakama, Nez Perce, and Wanapum tribes.
Using the standard of "preponderance of evidence,"
the Interior said the tribes' oral traditions,
cultural history, and continued occupation of
the area links them to the 9,000-year-old man
they call "Ancient One." As such, he should
be returned to the tribes for reburial under the Native
American Graves and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) of
1990.
But that won't be happening any time soon, however.
The tribes, as well as others, are no doubt ready to
accept the remains but eight
scientists still want to study him and their lawsuit
against the government will go forward.
Get the Story:
Kennewick
Man to go to tribes (9/26)
EDITORIAL:
Let scientists study Kennewick (9/27)
Tribes
ask scientists not to study Kennewick (9/27)
Pequots win round in court
The state of Connecticut lost a key battle this week,
as the Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that
the Department of Interior isn't barred from taking
land into trust for the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation.
Along with three towns, the state attempted to
argue that the 1983 Mashantucket Pequot Settlement
Act forever defined the borders of the tribe's
reservation. But the court disagreed
and overturned a lower court ruling which failed
to apply a standard in Indian law in which
ambiguities in laws and treaties are to be resolved
in favor of the tribe.
Not surprisingly, the fallout from the case came
quickly. The towns blamed their Congressman for
the "sloppy" legislation he introduced back in 1983. Local
residents said the tribe has too much land already.
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal vowed to
continue the fight.
Meanwhile, the tribe tried to respond to the notion
that they could theoretically turn all of the area
into Indian Country. Not in their plans,
and besides, the Interior would reject such a request,
the tribe said.
Also, author Jeff Benedict announced that a new version of
his controversial book about the tribe would contain
more material. While the three towns may appreciate it,
so far, his book hasn't had an effect on any lawmakers
outside of the state and the towns' pleas have fallen
on deaf ears.
Get the Story:
Court
rules against anti-Pequot towns (9/26)
Does
a Pequot empire await? (9/27)
Towns
want 'sloppy' legislation fixed (9/27)
Residents
want tribe to pay taxes (9/27)
Tribe
wants to add more land (9/27)
LETTER:
Pequots, Persians, Ferengis… (9/27)
Anti-Pequot
towns: No one's helping us (9/28)
Pequot
tribe tries to assuage fears (9/28)
Pequot
book to be in paperback (9/29)
LETTER:
Lieberman's Lies (9/29)
Dialogue
urged between tribe, towns (9/29)
more top stories
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