Thursday, Jun. 22, 2006

Tribes pray over Kennewick Man

By Anna King, Herald staff writer

Mid-Columbia tribal leaders prayed Wednesday morning over Kennewick Man's bones at the University of Washington's Burke Museum in Seattle.

Seven tribal leaders from the Wanapum Band and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation visited the remains and conducted a ceremony at 7:30 a.m.

"It was a ceremony to honor the remains," said Laura Phillips, the Burke's collections manager who attended the ceremony. "And to let them (remains) know they are still supportive."

Mid-Columbia tribal members believe the 9,000-year-old bones are those of their ancestor, and for nearly 10 years they fought for the right to rebury the skeleton and prevent it from being studied.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled in the scientists' favor, allowing the first studies of the bones last summer.

The Wanapum Band, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Confederated Tribes & Bands of the Yakama Nation had submitted a request to the Army Corps of Engineers to visit the bones.

The visit was coordinated with the Corps' regular examination of the bones, which happens twice a year.

Some tribal members couldn't attend the ceremony because of the recent death of Yakama Tribal Councilman William Yallup Sr.

Tribal members couldn't be reached Wednesday afternoon, but Phillips said the boxes that the bones are stored in weren't opened, and the tribal members weren't allowed to touch the remains or to burn cedar bows during the hour-long ceremony.

The fragile bones could be damaged if they were exposed to smoke or were handled, she explained.

Cleone Hawkinson, president of Friends of America's Past, said the scientists agreed to the tribal visit, but were confused why the Corps decided to ask for the court's approval.

"The case is over so it's kind of a curiosity," Hawkinson said. "Usually you don't put in new motions once a case is settled."

She said the scientists were concerned that other groups would try to gain access to the bones.

Hawkinson said Wednesday's visit to the remains was the first since 2000.

Nola Leyde, Seattle-based Army Corps spokeswoman, said the Corps has received several requests from media companies to see the bones, but the tribes were the only group allowed inside other than the scientists.

Even though the court ruled that the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act didn't apply to Kennewick Man, Nola Leyde said scientific and religious visits to ancient human remains are protected under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act.