Me thinks the problem with this mess, was a lack of beer! You guys are trying to get me in trouble arn't you-but I'm retired so here goes my thoughts. The K-Man CF is the perfect example of how not to do something. Remember growing up and how you were told never argue religion, politics and mom's apple pie, that plus a lot of CYA, is the basic problem here. Science, religion, politics, money and a federal law all collide here. Earlier in this thread, I talked about how science says the new world was populated by different groups of people (cultures) arriving here from lot's of places over a long period of time, with each group killing off, inter mingling with, adapting to, bypassing the earlier groups or/and maybe all of the above-that's the scientific view. Allot of Indians believe (for both real or political reasons) that they were always here! Then there are politicians; who passed a law awhile back that said that all "Native American" burials and properties from said burials taken from federal land and now stored at various museums, colleges, etc, had to be returned to the proper Native American Group. That's the heart of this story.
Unfortunately, the K-Man, and the imbedded spear head and his physical body type is from a time that science defines as before the arrival of what is considered the "Native American " physical type-another words, they looked more Pre-European than Eurasian! So there is now tug of war began between science and the Indians. To make matters worse, the Corps of Engineers, intentionally, destroyed the site where K-Man was found so all that's left are the burial and some associated materials-so any data that could be used to verify who's, what's and when's is now gone. The Indians don't care about any of this science stuff and for various reasons just want the K-Man! Power and $, more casinos, more power, the story of the world. Do I sound cynical about the whole thing-yes! From what I gather, a judge has ruled (I think) that science can study the K-man and then they go from there, so you get the science vrs religion thing, with the law not making either side happy-sort of like evolution vrs religion or climate change vrs big oil/God with no compromise and no resolution!
A quick little story that you don't hear about much, a burial was found in a cave in Nevada a while back, and it was almost as old as the K-Man (and was not Native American), the Indians wanted it, the Nevada BLM said "No" it wasn't N/A and believe it or not, the politicians at the top supported the BLM decision and far as far as I know, it's being studied right now! Different folks-different strokes! Another story, years ago, they found some intermingled white and Native American bones in a burial and for years this white skull has been in a box with a bunch of Indian bones, the Indians heard about it and got their bones back and now the poor unknown skull will sit for eternity by itself in his box! Sort of makes me sad, he should have went with his friends , but the law's the law, and power is what's it about, I guess! More grog for me mates!
That help this thread or not.
Smoke
