The Kennewick skeleton is important for my studies of the health and lifestyles of the earliest known inhabitants of North America. Because the existing sample base is so limited, every additional piece of information we can obtain is irreplaceable. My work during the inventory only allowed me to obtain generalized impressions, and I need an opportunity to work comprehensively with the skeleton as it is now rehoused in a more completely assembled arrangement. The fact that the government's study team may have gathered information concerning these issues is not a substitute for examination of the skeleton by myself and other scientists. No two scientists can be expected to address all of the issues that are of interest to all other scientists.
Scientists often have different perspectives and views on what is important.
All perspectives are needed to bring as much clarity as possible to the past. In addition, it is important that the observations of the government's scientists be checked by other observers. As noted above, independent verification of data is a fundamental rule of science. Such verification is particularly important in the case of skeletal observations relating to health and lifestyles issues. Evidence concerning these matters is complex and subtle, and scientists may disagree as to their interpretation.