Becoming American or Becoming Indian?

Abstract

Magistrate John Jelderks’ opinion in August 2002, that Kennewick Man is not Native American under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), will likely have farreaching impacts on the relationship between American Indians and American archaeologists. More than a legal decision, the opinion also points to the inadequacies of NAGPRA. The following article looks at some of the political implications of the judge’s decision and the most recent crack in the fragile peace between archaeologists and North America’s indigenous people and discusses some of the shortcomings and ambiguities of NAGPRA.