Colorado Republican Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell is attempting to insert broadening language into the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act “so that any ancient skeleton can be claimed by modern American Indian tribes even though they have no known connection to the remains,” thus reversing the disposition of such cases as the Kennewick Man controversy (see Aug. 9, Aug. 2 and links from there). Such a step “could significantly reduce — and perhaps cripple — legitimate scientific inquiry into the origins of human settlement in the Western Hemisphere. The retiring Campbell apparently hopes that one of his last acts in Congress will be to undermine the sort of vital study that is undertaken in virtually every other region of the globe.” (“Campbell’s assault on science” (editorial), Rocky Mountain News, Oct. 13)(via Moira Breen, by way of Jim Henley). More: Tim Sandefur comments at Panda’s Thumb (Oct. 4).

Filed under: antiquities, Colorado, Indian tribes