ABOUT INDIAN BONES
One of the few songs we know about based on a congressional act, Bones talks about the 1990 Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act. It was supposed to allow tribes to reclaim bones and artifacts from museums and universities. However, as with most legislation, there are strings attached. Tribes must be able to prove these items are theirs through records or other legal documentation. You know, we don't think the DMV was issuing driver's licenses or IDs back in 1700 or 1800's.
Recently, the controversy surrounding Indian bones made headlines. Hikers found a skull they thought might be a murder victim and reported it to authorities who were shocked to find the skull belonged to a man who lived 9,000 years ago. Dubbed "The Kennewick Man" or "The Ancient One," there is a struggle by local tribes in the Washington-Oregon area to get back the bones of one of their tribesman. Scholars want to continue to study the bones....and there is the dilemma. Science marches on! Are those bad Indians just impeding major scientific discoveries or trying to lay a relation to rest? Hmm...
If you'd like to read more about it -- check out these sites:
