Ancient Encounters: Kennewick Man and the First Americans

Rating:
Summary: Who Am I?
Review: Where did I come from? Scientists like Dr. Chatters try and peel the layers of a complicated onion in order to answer the 'larger picture'. Having lived in Washington and Oregon among the Yakama and Umatilla people I know that my first reaction to the Kennewick controversy was 'leave the Ancient One alone'! My Native friends insist that their claim to being the original peoples of this continent are being repudiated by the work of Chatters, Owsley and others. After researching for myself I have come to the conclusion that any work on this very sensitive topic is of value. There are no definitive answers now, and perhaps not in our lifetime. Look at the controversy over 'Lucy' in Africa? Science evolves just as people have. Dr. Chatters book is an excellent window on just how complicated 'our' origins are. For my own part, I am of the belief that there is not just ONE ancestor, nor can there be just ONE theory on how the contemporary people of this continent evolved. I don't find Dr. Chatters writings confusing in the least. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to meet him when I lived in Portland and went to several lectures on 'the Ancient One'. I think if I could choose who I would like to sit down with and pick his brain and learn, it would have to be Dr. Chatters. His credentials are above reproach despite the twists media have made concerning his use of a common morphological term 'caucasoid'. I would encourage him to keep digging, keep writing because many of us appreciate the intellectual stimulation our otherwise boring lives deprive us of. Excellent book!