Polynesian Kennewick Man Debates: Native America and Asia's genetic links

photo by Ione K. Birdman of a Polynesian man studied 

to have resembled Kennewick Man fascial reconstruction

In the Columbia River in Washington United States on July 26th 1998, one of the most controversial American archaeological and anthropological skeletal finds was discovered. The find became so heated that it led to a nine year "legal battle" between Native American claims and scientists from a wide range of academic fields. The skeletal find named "Kennewick Man" is dated at least 9,300 years old and is the oldest evidence of people in the Americas. Thorough studies of the Kennewick Man continued for in Seattle with conclusions of Kennewick Man being Native American, Polynesian, or East Asian Ainu.

"Photo comparisons to a Western European man appeared online after the discovery, hoping to claim that a very English looking man may have settled in the Americas, it was nothing less than disgraceful and pathetic" 

"Science media is not always at all about Science and can be just as bad as any Tabloid. It goes to show that there are plenty of desperate people out there attempting to undermine Native American and Asian Pacific Heritage. There were only a few possibilities in the first place, Asian-Austronesian or Native American (both very similar in builds and fascial features) and then out of no where you get these strange claims saying it might have been a guy who looks like the actor Patrick Stewart"

The case and evidence brings about further inquiries into Austronesian expansions before 10kya of Malay-Polynesians and Polynesians who have far reaching areas outside of Southeast Asia, East Asia, and The Polynesian Triangle and have been settled in areas as far as Madagascar, Southeast Asia and South-central Asia, East Asia, and possibly the Americas. The first 'founding of Asia' itself by Austronesian speakers is a complicated area of study which has not been able to be undertaken.

Posted in: A.P.I. A. Studies