Segments and Footage about Kennewick Man Controversy.

It was four years ago that 350 bones were discovered along the Columbia River. This is a plaster cast of the skull a skeleton we've come to know as Kennewick man. Today the federal government announced its findings and just how old it believes the head awake man really is. We believe the Kennewick Man was born lived out his life and died in this part of the country about 9000 years ago 9000 years old. That's what several radio carbon tests have determined. Significant because by federal law anything older than 500 years old is considered Native American. We believe firmly that he is he was a Native American person. Five Native American tribes claimed Kennewick Man as an ancestor and have been fighting to have his remains returned for Rivera. We don't want to read we b hate to see that this continued to go on like a circus as the bones sit here at the berk museum. The court battle isn't over yet. The bones cannot be buried unless it is shown that Kennewick Man

has ties to a modern tried. Meanwhile some archaeologists still want further DNA testing because they say can a white man raises so many questions who are Native Americans. Who were the first people to come to the Americas. When did human beings start to live in a particular place and where did they come from and how did they live and how are they different or similar to to ourselves. Robert Mack for NBC News. A panel of court appointed scientific experts has just concluded Kennewick Man looks more Asian than European or Native American. Here are the panel's exact words quote Man has the strongest affinity with Southern Asians not Native Americans or Europeans. Are currently stored here at the birth. You see I'm reversing a washer and this is a

new exhibit I'm going to today. Native American tribes claim the remains as one of their own and they have long maintained their mines will not be changed on that by science contradicts the sacredness and holiness that this individual presents under current federal law. A Native American. Is anyone living here before Columbus. Unanswered questions remain. Were there others here before or even at the same time as the earliest India and this is a view from Asia or Europe or maybe both. I think it probable the Americas were people the story is way more complex than a single migration. Yes he said this is a local anthropologist Jim chatters.

He's the first person who looked at can a weak man determine the remains were very old and significant because of chatters the more the 90 200 year old kid a weak man is living a new life he never could have dreamed he would have but three years ago Jim chatters never could have dreamed the Kennewick man would be tied up in a legal battle and his extensive research ignored by the government. It is frustrating it's unethical to and you don't ignore the original discover something the person who actually calls it out and says hey don't trash this OK we're going to trash it but we will let you have any chance that we're going to be there that's really not really an ethical. And strictly political motivation. But it's frustrating too. Colleagues have been hired to work on this when allowed to talk to me. The plaintiffs are eight anthropologists who filed the suit in October of 96 to keep the Army Corps of Engineers from turning Kennewick man over to local Indian tribes. The scientists want to study him but the Indians claim Kenwick man is one of their ancestors and they

want to bury. We believe that is not necessary on this on these remains. Because of the sacredness. Of these remains and because of what this individual represents to us the tribal people chatter says that the fight is actually between the scientists and the government and not between the scientists and he says the Indians are somewhere in between. The scientists contend that the remains don't really belong to anyone. It's too much. Too many genes under the bridge. For you to be able to relate people of that long ago past the people of the present time. In any linear way the latest research conducted by a federally appointed team of scientists showed Kennewick Man is an Indian or European. He's more related to groups from Polynesia were a group from Japan called the I knew but chatters is afraid that when new carbon dating test results come out later this month the government is going to declare

Kennewick man a Native American because he existed here before Columbus visited. There are some very serious population crashes in the prehistory of the Congo Basin. And there followed by new forms of new cultures. So it's really not possible to say they're continuous. But it's interesting because I think that's what they're going to do in the meantime chatters continue to study other aspects of Kennewick Man and other ancient people. But we wait to hear what will happen to these 90 200 year old remains in Richmond Scott Storch News 25 NBC. A. There. Is.

More. We believe that is not necessary on these remains. Because of the sacredness. Of these remains and because of what this individual represents to us and means to us as a tribal people it remains mean to tribal people is what the religious leader of the Umatilla tribe I mean

once non-Indians to know the beliefs that we follow daily is that when an individual is buried or put into the ground their final resting place. That's where they are to remain till the end of time. So when it comes to the ancient remains that were found in Cannes awake in July they are strongly opposed to allowing them to be studied any further by scientists or for a different name then can awake man. So the term is a very appropriate ancient one in a tribe believe that further testing is further desecration. This huge boulder covered with Indian petroglyphs sits at the center of their Veterans Memorial. It's been determined to be about nine thousand years old just like the Ancient One. They say that proves that their ancestors were around at that time. The rock sat in Portland city for most of the century until it was reclaimed last year. They hope they will also be able to reclaim and re bury their ancestors remains in some instances

we can make. Or come to a compromise. Because. Our culture our lifestyle. Because of our traditional beliefs and our religion. It's their hope that through education non-Indians can better understand the traditional beliefs reflected in their culture at the Umatilla Indian reservation. Brian Van Cleef News 25 NBC. Thank you.