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- SEATTLE (Reuters) - The U.S.
Interior Department said on Tuesday it would try to carry out DNA analysis
on a 9,300-year-old skeleton unearthed in Washington state, risking the
wrath of American Indian tribes who claim the remains are the sacred bones
of an ancestor.
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- The department, which worried that any testing of ``Kennewick
Man`` could offend local tribes and yield useless results, said such analysis
could help it figure out to whom the ancient resident is related.
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- ``We believe that DNA analysis will help determine the
biological and genetic racial ancestry of the remains. This has been the
subject of controversy in this case from the beginning,`` Frank McManamon,
chief archeologist for the National Park Service, said in a statement.
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- ``It will be useful for cultural affiliation purposes,``
McManamon said, although he added there was no guarantee the testing would
work because of the likelihood of contamination of the DNA samples.
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- Kennewick Man, found in 1996 near the town of Kennewick
in southern Washington, is claimed by five Native American tribes as an
ancestor. The tribes have vigorously opposed any scientific testing of
the remains and want them reburied.
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- The remains sparked debate over the origin of American
peoples after cranial studies showed that he looked different than modern
Native Americans, leading to speculation that Caucasians once roamed the
continent.
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- But government officials have said he bears little resemblance
to any modern people, and scientists have said he may be related to the
Ainu people of Japan, who show many cultural similarities to Northwestern
U.S. tribes.
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- Last month, the department ruled Kennewick Man was Native
American under the guidelines of the Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act, which says remains found to predate the 1492 Columbus
voyage to America are deemed Indian and turned over to local tribes.
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- Local tribes could not be immediately reached for comment
on Tuesday`s decision.
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