Kennewick Man
Kennewick Man was the title given to the remains of a prehistoric man found in Kennewick, Washington in July 1996. The finding caused a dispute between the American Indian tribes of the Northwest, who claimed immediate burial rights under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and scientists who wanted to study the remains. Based on initial reports that the remains possibly had Caucasian features, the finding of Kennewick Man also started a round of pseudoarcheological speculation. Mormon apologists believed Kennewick Man could be one of the "Lamanites" or "Jaredites" (ancient inhabitants of the Americas referred to in the Book of Mormon), and a neopagan Asatru sect believed he could be an ancient Viking explorer having come to the Americas; both groups attempting to use the finding to back up their pre-existing religious beliefs. Pseudoscientific and religious speculation aside, the finding of Kennewick Man has contributed to a scientific debate which continues about the origin and diversity of native American peoples.