Reply #54: I remember back [View All]

in the 1980s, when I was working on what became the federal Native American Burial Protection & Repatriation Act. I'm sure my credentials on these issues don't match up to your own, but please bear with me.

We were in a meeting with a group of experts from various universities and museums. One professor said to us, "Well, you can't say for sure who's remains they are. They don't belong to you. They belong to history."

Onondaga Chief Oren Lyons responded, "It's true that I cannot say for sure who these individuals were. But what I can say for sure is that they do not belong to you."

There are very different ways of looking at issues. In this case, one way is right, and another wrong. Saying that Geronimo -- who was NEVER a US citizen -- belongs to you is something akin to Prescott Bush thinking he was entitled to Geronimo's skull. Of course, Prescott may have loved history.