| Summary: | Archaeology and Traditional Knowledge sometimes find themselves pitted against each other in the quest for legitimacy, for an audience. When discussing the origins of the Native populations of the Americas, some very serious emotions can be touched upon. You only have to revisit the whole question of the Kennewick Man controversy over these past few years to see how this "contest" came down, quite literally, to fighting over the bones of these ancient people. On the one hand, scientists had a wonderful opportunity of studying very scarce remains dating to the pre-8500 year ago period. Yet local Native Americans invoked NAGPRA (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) to claim the remains as their own and insist on their reburial and especially their withdrawal from scientific study. Judges and lawyers got into the fray and arguments were advanced in front of tribunals. Does this mean that archaeologists should shy away from discussing the issues, from laying out what evidence does exist to advance one theory over another? Absolutely not. In fact, the contrary is clearly indicated. We need to enter into a dialogue (well outside of the legal system, I would hasten to add) and we have to ensure that the public has access to as much information as possible in order for their opinions to be better informed because public opinion, whether we like it or not, influences the political and even the legal processes that can and sometimes do impinge upon archaeological inquiry.
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