The discovery of the remains known as Kennewick Man, or the Ancient One, represents a significant event in the study of North America’s earliest inhabitants. Uncovered in 1996, the nearly complete skeleton, dated to between 8,400 and 8,690 years old, is one of the oldest ever found on the continent. This discovery ignited a decades-long conflict that pitted scientific inquiry against the cultural and spiritual beliefs of Native American tribes. The case navigated the complex intersection of law, science, and heritage.
The Discovery and Initial Controversy
On July 28, 1996, two college students found a human skull in the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington, leading to the recovery of a nearly complete skeleton. The remains were examined by local anthropologist James Chatters, who noted features he considered “Caucasoid-like,” a preliminary assessment that fueled years of debate. The land where the skeleton was found was managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which was at the center of the dispute.
A coalition of five local tribes, including the Umatilla, Yakama, and Colville, asserted the remains were of an ancestor and sought their immediate reburial. Their claim was based on the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), a 1990 federal law designed to return remains to tribes. The tribes, citing oral histories placing them in the region since time immemorial, viewed the scientific study of the Ancient One as a desecration.
This request was met with legal opposition from a group of scientists, including Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution. They filed a lawsuit, arguing the skeleton’s age and characteristics made it an invaluable source of information about the peopling of the Americas. The scientists contended that no direct link had been established between the remains and modern tribes, so NAGPRA should not apply. This legal challenge successfully halted the reburial and set the stage for a prolonged court battle over the right to study the bones.
The Scientific Investigation
After a 2004 court ruling granted scientists access, a 16-day examination of the skeleton took place in 2005, led by Douglas Owsley. This study yielded a detailed portrait of the man’s life. He was a male, around 40 years of age at his death, and stood about five feet, seven inches tall. His bones revealed a life of considerable physical exertion, with a right arm more developed than the left, suggesting he was right-handed and regularly performed tasks like hunting with a spear.
Further analysis of the bones pointed to a diet rich in marine protein, indicating he likely lived along the coast and subsisted on sea mammals. This contradicted the inland region where he was found. Evidence of arthritis was found in his elbow, knees, and vertebrae, though it was not severe enough to be debilitating. The skeleton also bore the marks of several injuries sustained during his lifetime, offering a glimpse into the hazards of his existence.
One of the most notable findings was a Cascade projectile point, a type of stone spear tip, embedded and healed within his hip bone. This ancient injury provided a direct link to the technology and conflicts of his era. The interpretation of his skull morphology remained a point of debate. Some researchers insisted its shape and measurements were distinct from modern Native Americans and more closely resembled circumpacific populations, such as the Ainu of Japan or Polynesians.
Genetic Analysis and Ancestral Connection
For years, the debate over Kennewick Man’s ancestry hinged on his skeletal anatomy, as early attempts to extract genetic material failed. However, advancements in ancient DNA analysis provided a new path forward. In 2015, a team of scientists led by the Centre for GeoGenetics at the University of Copenhagen successfully sequenced the genome of the Ancient One from a hand bone fragment.
The results, published in Nature, brought clarity to the controversy. The genetic evidence directly refuted earlier theories based on skull measurements. The DNA proved that Kennewick Man was more closely related to modern Native Americans than to any other population on Earth. This was supported by his mitochondrial DNA, which belonged to haplogroup X2a, a genetic marker found almost exclusively in Native American populations.
The study went further, identifying a specific and direct ancestral link to modern tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Among the tribal groups whose DNA was available for comparison, the data showed a particularly strong connection to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. This genetic verdict settled the scientific question of his origins, confirming the ancestral relationship the tribes had asserted from the beginning.
Resolution and Reburial
The 2015 DNA findings marked the final turning point in the two-decade case. With the scientific debate over his ancestry resolved, the primary legal obstacle to his repatriation was removed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, presented with the genetic proof, officially determined that Kennewick Man was Native American under the definition provided by NAGPRA. This cleared the way for the remains to be returned to the coalition of tribes that had long claimed him as their ancestor.
In December 2016, federal legislation sponsored by Washington state lawmakers was signed into law, legally requiring the return of the remains to the tribes. On February 17, 2017, representatives from the Colville, Yakama, Umatilla, Nez Perce, and Wanapum tribes gathered at the Burke Museum in Seattle. They took possession of their ancestor’s remains, along with the stone projectile point and samples of his DNA.
The following day, on February 18, 2017, more than 200 tribal members attended a private and traditional ceremony. At an undisclosed location on the Columbia Plateau, the Ancient One was finally laid to rest. The reburial marked the resolution of the conflict, affirming the connection between a man who lived millennia ago and the people who still call that land home.