The discipline of science, like history, is not neutral. Bonnichsen, in contrast, downplays the political nature of his discipline. It should not be used for political purposes or to validate a preconceived position. But what many viewed as a basic human rights law didn't end the matter - either ethically or legally. The spirit of the law hasn't filtered down as far as it should, said Keith Kintigh, president of the Society for American Archaeology.
Tribes remain wary.
On the legal front, the government still has not adopted standards for what to do with remains that aren't culturally linked to modern people - the very issue that Kennewick Man appears to demand an answer to. Until that work is finished, the controversy remains. They are trying to say that if somebody else migrated, it's OK for us to migrate and invade. In other words, if American Indians displaced the original New World residents, their legal claims against the whites who displaced them theoretically would be weakened. Antone Minthorn, board member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, doesn't agree - at least with regards to Kennewick Man.