Dr. Lillian Wakeley will present a talk on Thursday, Aug. 13, about the 1996 discovery of the remains of 9,000-year-old Kennewick Man and the resulting legal battles fought under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
The program begins at 7 p.m. at the Far View Lodge and is free.
The Kennewick Man remains were claimed by several Native American tribes under NAGPRA, but legal actions intensified as questions arose about whether a preponderance of evidence identified the remains as Native American under law and whether NAGPRA applied. Plans for a detailed site study to help determine the environment, cultural affiliation, and burial status were abandoned when the site was covered under tons of rock and soil.
Wakeley is a consulting geologist with worldwide research experience in near-surface soil properties, desert and river geomorphology, specialty geo-materials, interpreting paleo-environments, and science for the public. She holds an master's in geology from Utah State and a D.Ed. from Penn State.
Lillian led the geologic study of the Kennewick Man discovery site and serves as a volunteer geologic consultant to Mesa Verde National Park.
For other programs in the series, go to www.mesaverde.org/four-corners-lecture-series.