Tribes lay Kennewick Man’s remains to rest

KENNEWICK, Wash. (AP) – The ancient bones of the Kennewick Man have been returned to the ground.

The Tri-City Herald reports (http://bit.ly/2mf1INA ) that early Saturday, more than 200 members of five Columbia Plateau tribes and bands gathered at an undisclosed location to lay the remains of the man they call the Ancient One to rest. That’s according to an announcement Sunday by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

Umatilla board member Aaron Ashley says they always knew the Ancient One was Indian. But tribes waited more than 20 years to rebury the bones.

Tribal representatives met at the University of Washington’s Burke Museum in Seattle on Friday to claim the remains.

Former President Obama signed legislation in December requiring the 8,400-year-old skeleton to be given to the tribes within 90 days.