Respecting your elders

Over at RichardDawkins.net, they have a story of turmoil in England.

Pagan groups, whatever that means want "the bodies". Apparently it is felt that remains of early (pre-Christian) peoples of England are their providence, and only they know how to handle and respect the remains.

That seems damn presumptutous. Most everyone in England have as much a claim to these remains as these groups. Just because they are "Pagan" they don't have truer tie. We are talking about a religion, one that can really include celtic offshoots, wiccans, a multitude of different pagan groups, different druidics), that is at best a reborn faith of the last 2 centuries.

Now some like to belittle the various groups under the pagan mantle, but really, I have as many and more troubles with Christianity goofiness, or the creepiness of Scientology. But this attitiude needs to be confronted.

Yes. Confronted for the good of science. It reminds me of a story I heard on the Skeptic's Guide to the Universe podcast. In it some archaelogists were working on a grave site. An American Indian showed up with the press, demanding the remains. THe odd thing is that this grave was one for Irish immigrants. What the hell is this? It is old and in the grounds of North American, therefor it is Indian? No.

No. Again, we are talking about a broader history. Tens of thousands of years ago (per current research) the first peoples migrated to this continent. Some stopped here and there, and settled, eventually, there were pockets up and down the 2 continents of the Americas. After that peoples died out flourished and moved about. So for a tribe or group to declare dibs on remain's thousands of years old, is arrogant.

I am all for respecting cultures. But to deingrate science, to deny research in this way is foolish. There is a level of compromise to be found, I am sure, but to just capitulate is the wrong way to go. Hence the changes to U.S. Law to make the fight to claim remains harder, without real direct evidence.