Does SAA regret the fact that some members of the scientific community filed a lawsuit?
SAA regrets that a lawsuit was necessary to obtain a fair implementation of NAGPRA by the U.S. government. However, at the time the lawsuit was filed, the government was prepared to repatriate the remains on the basis of a perfunctory finding by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) that the Kennewick remains were culturally affiliated with the modern tribes. In 1997, the Federal court ruled that the COE had acted inappropriately by not fully considering the evidence in making its initial determination. We hope that the law is clarified for all as a result of the lawsuit.
