Discovery of the Kennewick Man skeleton in Washington State in 1996 sets the stage for a fascinating discussion of Paleoamerican skeletons and what they may tell us about early human presence on this continent nine thousand-plus years ago. Research on Kennewick Man was suspended for a period when American Indian tribes petitioned to have the remains returned under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act—a bill that strives to acknowledge hundreds of years of Native grave desecration. But researchers (including coauthor Douglas W. Owsley) filed a counter claim, believing the skeleton was not Native American. Science continues to develop new and better ways of studying ancient remains, and this is seen across several separate studies of Kennewick Man since 1999, with the most recent evidence showing Kennewick Man is related most closely to the Japanese Ainu and the Polynesian Moriori. Research on Paleoamerican remains underscores how many dimensions of science, from anthropology and biology and forensics to cultural studies, are needed to try to make sense of the bones and the lives of these ancient people. There is a tenderness and respect for these remains and the lives they represent that permeates the lengthy and compelling narrative illustrated with periodic photographs and illustrations. (Age 12 and older)

On July 28, 1996, two young men stumbled upon human bones in the shallow water along the shore of the Columbia River near Kennewick, Washington. Was this an unsolved murder? The remnants of some settler's or Native American's unmarked grave? What was the story behind this skeleton?

Within weeks, scientific testing yielded astonishing news: the bones were more than 9,000 years old! The skeleton instantly escalated from interesting to extraordinary. He was an individual who could provide firsthand evidence about the arrival of humans in North America. The bones found scattered in the mud acquired a name: Kennewick Man.

Authors Sally M. Walker and Douglas W. Owsley take you through the painstaking process of how scientists determined who Kennewick Man was and what his life was like. New research, never-before-seen photos of Kennewick Man's remains, and a lifelike facial reconstruction will introduce you to one of North America's earliest residents.

But the story doesn't end there. Walker and Owsley also introduce you to a handful of other Paleoamerican skeletons, exploring their commonalities with Kennewick Man. Together, their voices form a chorus to tell the complex tale of how humans came to North America—if we will only listen.