Disrupting Burial Sites

Cory K

Anthropology 101

7 October 2013

Disrupting Burial Sites

Native American burial sites have been a forefront in learning the history of who was in the Americas at what time, where, and what might have been there customs. The only problem is that some of the Native American tribes have laid down a law with Congress that people may not disturb various burial sites because they believe it is desecrating them. I am on the side of the Native Americans in that if they do not want archaeologists and anthropologists to dig up the burial sites then they should not have to because it is their direct history.

It is all a choice of whether or not the Native American tribe will grant access for archaeologists or anthropologists to the burial site and it is also their right. Some tribes believe that the American people are just digging up their ancestors and their way of life just to put on display, which is almost exactly what happens in terms of a lot of what is discovered, is sent to museums for everyone to see. The Native Americans are scared that the "outsiders" will ruin what little history they have and show no respect for the deceased they are digging up. Some groups in both the Americas and even Australia have said just because you are from the same country does not mean you are apart of the same culture so these kind of things such as burial sites are to only to be shared on our terms (216). Although Native Americans have started to understand that some archaeology is useful to them if they used their rules.

The other side believes that archaeologists have a responsibility to the people about who they study because they are defining the culture of an extinct group. With finding these things they believe that they are writing a piece of history that has not been recorded yet and will only be written