Jockeying over what constitutes a native American may resume after the Senate Indian Affairs committee approved a bill (S. 2087) late last month that would redefine the term under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Pro-research groups say the change could prevent scientists from studying ancient remains, whereas Indian groups say it would merely clarify the law's original intent.
Tribal activists have been trying to reverse a federal court ruling in 2004 that said the law did not apply to the 9000-year-old bones of the culturally unidentified Kennewick Man, clearing them for scientific study. S. 2087, a collection of technical amendments to Indian law, adds two words to the definition of "Native American" to make it cover any member of a tribe or culture that is "or was" indigenous to the United States. With a crowded fall calendar, no Senate floor vote is expected in the near future. Representative Doc Hastings (R-WA) is expected to reintroduce a measure in the House shortly that would counter the proposed change.
