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Item Barcode | Collection | Call Number | Status | Item Holds |
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33607001335788 | Adult Nonfiction | 979.7 DOWNEY | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
33607001345126 | Palouse Heritage Collection | 979.7 DOWNEY | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
From its discovery in the Columbia River three years ago, reporter Roger Downey has chronicled the epic adventures of the skeleton called "Kennewick Man": first as a pretext for a media feeding-frenzy, then as the centerpiece of a legal circus pitting celebrated scientists against Native Americans, the Corps of Engineers, and the Clinton White House, finally, at long last, as an object of rational scientific study.
The saga of Kennewick Man offers abundant opportunity to explore today's rapidly-changing scientific theories about how the Americas first came to be settled, and by whom. But it also casts much light on the deep divisions within the fields of anthropology and archeology concerning the role of politics and race in the pursuit of scientific goals, what constitutes ethical procedure in dealing with ancient human remains and living individuals, and the very purpose and direction of the scientific enterprise itself.
With an easy style that keeps you hooked from beginning to end, Downey describes the major players in this continuing debate and details the controversial scientific, religious, and political arguments surrounding Kennewick Man.
Author Notes
Roger Downey attended the College of the University of Chicago and the University of Washington before stumbling into a career in journalism with the Seattle "underground paper" Helix in 1969. Since 1976, he has written for Seattle Weekly, while pursuing a career as playwright and translator.
Reviews (1)
Library Journal Review
Any story that includes such a diverse cast of characters as the U.S. government, five Native American tribes (the Yakima, Nez Perce, Umatilla, Colville, and Wanapum), archaeologists, anthropologists, and the Asatru Folk Assembly (a pagan group that worships Old Norse gods) has to be fascinating. Such is the tale of Kennewick Man, whose remains have ignited a maelstrom that has yet to be concluded and will have long-ranging implications as to the ownership, treatment, and study of Native American remains. (Kennewick Man refers to an 8000-year-old skull found along the Columbia River in 1996 that proved to be of Caucasian origin, countering the theory that the earliest humans in North America came from Asia.) Downey, a Seattle-based reporter, presents a blow-by-blow account of the battle so far over Kennewick Man. At its core a sad story, since it does involve human remains, this is also somewhat comical at times. It has more twists and turns than most mystery novels and is an entertaining read. Recommended for public libraries. Thomas, curator of anthropology and former chair of the Department of Anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, uses the legal battle over Kennewick Man in his outstanding scholarly study of the root causes of the distrust between archaeologists and Native American groups. He carefully explores both sides of the issue, showing that while archaeologists have in the past taken great liberties with Native Americans and their culture, their work has sometimes been beneficial. He also attempts to show that it is possible to respect the concerns of Native Americans and conduct good research at the same time. His solution is certainly preferable to settling these issues in courthouses across the country. This important piece of work is highly recommended for all academic collections in the fields of archaeology, anthropology, history, and Native American studies.--John Burch, Hagan Memorial Lib., Williamsburg, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
Preface | p. ix |
River | |
1. A Day at the Races | p. 3 |
2. Bones in the Basement | p. 13 |
3. Injun Trouble | p. 31 |
4. New Laws and Old Science | p. 47 |
Plains | |
5. Clovis the Barbarian | p. 65 |
6. How the West Was Won | p. 81 |
7. Biology by the Numbers | p. 93 |
8. Is Race Necessary? | p. 105 |
Desert | |
9. Beulah Shows the Way | p. 115 |
10. Odin the Thunderer Meets Jean-Luc Picard | p. 129 |
11. Competition for Clovis? | p. 143 |
12. The Bone Business | p. 155 |
13. Three Years and Counting... | p. 171 |
Epilog: The View from Jump-Off Joe | p. 185 |
Notes | p. 191 |
Index | p. 197 |