"Who Owns The Past?"

In this assignment, we will be thinking about one of the key issues facing archaeologists today. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) is set up to protect Native American graves and their contents. Among other things, NAGPRA requires that any human remains and associated burial goods that have been recovered by archaeologists be returned to a culturally affiliated Native American tribe if a claim is made for their return. There are, of course, many considerations here. First, is it ethical to excavate burials and study the human remains and artifacts found in them? If remains are recovered archaeologically, should they be subject to study before they are returned to a culturally affiliated tribe? If the remains are not studied, important information about past cultures will be lost. Is that OK? In terms of deciding who has a claim on human remains and burial goods, what constitutes "cultural affiliation"? Should historical and/or archaeological evidence that indicates a direct cultural link between the remains and the possible descendant groups be required? Lacking cultural evidence, should a connection demonstrated by DNA analysis be required? Keep in mind that some examples are clear cut in terms of cultural affiliation; some, such as the Kennewick Man, are not. The issue is not faced by American archaeologists alone. For example, modern-day Druids in England have filed for repatriation of human remains that were buried at Stonehenge 4500-5000 years ago. Should these Druids be considered as the cultural descendants of the individuals buried at Stonehenge if a direct biological or cultural affiliation can't be demonstrated?

For this discussion board assignment, you will have five tasks:

1) READ these instructions (both pages) in their entirety and follow the directions - neglecting to do so will no doubt adversely affect your grade (this may seem obvious, but every semester people lose points unnecessarily for not following the directions).

2) READ the article entitled "Battle of the Bones" .

3) VIEW the videos posted under "Assignment 2" on Moodle (Make sure you do both 2) and 3) - your grade in Parts 4 and 5 will depend on it!).

4) WRITE an essay IN YOUR OWN WORDS of at least 250 words. Consider the issues at hand and post a statement of your thoughts on it. Should human remains be left alone entirely? Is it acceptable to excavate and study the remains of people who have no identifiable living descendants? Where should the line be drawn between scientific inquiry and the protection of buried human and cultural remains? You should address specific points from the article AND the videos as you frame your argument.

5) RESPOND to the posted essays of at least two of your classmates. Do you agree with their position? Are there things they have or have not considered, in comparison to your own informed opinion? Put some thought into these replies. These responses should be at least 100 words each

In completing this assignment, you will use correct grammar and correct spelling. I know this is not an English class, but in life and in your future careers you will be judged by your ability to communicate effectively and properly, so this class (as well as your other college classes) should help you prepare for that. Grammatical and typographical errors will result in the loss of up to 20% of the grade.

NOTE 1: Originality in thought is an important part of these assignments. You MUST make your own post before reviewing and commenting on the posts of your classmates. Be forewarned that Moodle records the time and date each time you log on, as well as the IP address of the computer you're using and the pages you visit. If I check your Moodle Activity Report and it indicates that you looked at someone else's post before submitting your own, you will lose all of the points for your original post.

NOTE 2: You MAY NOT copy passages or wording directly from the assigned article or from any other source in writing either your original post or your responses - that means NO QUOTES, PERIOD. I'm looking for what YOU have to say, not what you copy from someone else. Also keep in mind that the consequences for plagiarism in this class are dire (for further information, please see the Plagiarism Policy in the syllabus). Plagiarizing on a 40-point assignment is really not worth the risk of failing the class.

NOTE 3: To ensure that all statements have responses, please try to avoid responding to a statement that already has two responses. At the same time, I also understand that this is not always possible, especially if you are one of the first ones to complete the assignment, or if an assignment is submitted late.

NOTE 4: Remember that constructive criticism is appreciated, but destructive criticism is not - in your responses, you are not allowed to belittle or berate your classmates' opinions or views. In the academic world, we should be able to exchange ideas and state our opinions freely, even when they differ, in a civil manner. Failure to follow this guideline will adversely affect your grade.

NOTE 5: A simple "I agree with you" (or the equivalent) does not constitute a valid response, and you will receive no credit.

NOTE 6: While you may reply to as many of your classmates' replies to your original post as you wish, those will NOT count as one of the two required replies to classmates' essays. To receive credit for replies, the replies must be made in response to your classmates' ORIGINAL essays on the topic.