One lakh villages will become ODF on 2nd October, 2016

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01-October-2016 18:23 IST

One lakh villages will become ODF on 2nd October, 2016

Two years ago, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2^nd, 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Mission was divided into two parts – urban and rural. While the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban is managed by the Ministry of Urban Development, the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (Rural) is led by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Here are some of the highlights of progressof SBM Gramin in the last two years:

 

Taking stock of 2 years of the Mission

·        The Rural household toilet coverage has increased from 42% at the start of Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin to 55.34%as of today.

·        This entailed the construction of 2.4 crore toilets under SBM and 15.04 lakh under MNREGA.

·        In the first year alone, there was anincrease of 446% in construction of toilets after the launch of SBM(G) as compared to pre-SBM period of 2014-15.

·        35 districts and about one lakhvillages are targeted to be declared Open Defecation Free (ODF)by October 2, 2016.

·        On the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi tomorrow,the district of his birth, Porbandar, is also poised to become ODF. Additionally, 9more districts are likely to be declared ODF on the same day.

·        It is worth notingthat self-declaration of ODF by a village or districts themselves is not treated as final. Third party verifiers are being engaged to validate the self-declaration of ODF.

·        The success of the Mission is having a very real and measurable impact on health and mortality, especially in children in Rural India.

·        The ‘Swachh Survekshan’, a nationwide survey in 75 districts, conducted earlier this year, has created a sense of healthy competition among districts to achieve ‘Swachhta’.

Swachh Bharat is becoming a ‘Jan Andolan’

·        This is the biggest mass mobilization in history - the focus is on behavior change rather than on toilet construction because SBM is about the change of mindset.

·        Women, children, members of the third gender, senior citizens and specially abled citizens have particularly been taking the lead as sanitation champions and galvanizing their communities to make their villages ODF.

·        Cross-benefits of Community mobilization due to SBM: In Sawamahu Gram Panchayat in Punjab, during routine cleaning of villages, women found that a big component of garbage was empty liquor bottles, leading to them starting adaru-bandi(no alcohol) campaign. They also learnt the use of internet and WhatsApp to share their activities with one another. 

·        Shri Chandrakant Kulkarni, a retired government employee from Maharashtra, has donated one-third of his pension to the Swachh Bharat Kosh.

·        A team of brave army personnel, led byWing Commander Paramvir Singhundertook a ‘Ganga Avahan’ for the cause of Swachh Bharat. The expedition swam 2800 km along the length of River Ganga, from Devprayag (Uttarakhand) to Ganga Sagar (West Bengal), to spread awareness about the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Swachh Bharat and Mass Media

·        It is encouraging to know that some media houses have started dedicated campaigns for Swachh Bharat. There is immense potential for media to play a pivotal role in ensuring ‘A Clean India’.

·        This Ministry has also launched a campaign against open defecation in rural areas with Shri Amitabh Bachchan and Shri Sachin Tendulkar as brand ambassadors.

·        The reach and proved efficacy of ‘Radio’ will be leveraged to the fullest for influencing behavior change in the days to come.

Beyond ODF: Focus on Solid and Liquid Waste Management in villages

·        Mahila mandals of Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh took up the work of weekly cleaning of their villages. This became a good source of income for many as they sold one lakh kg of scrap worth about Rs.5 lakh from February 2015 to August 2016.

·        In Indore, the famous Khajrana Ganesha temple receives more than 100 kg of green waste in the form of flower offerings every day. These flowers are converted into compost using on-site facilities. The same compost is being purchased by the devotees and locals.

·        In Tamil Nadu, nearly 53056 MGNREGA workers are engaged in solid waste work in 9000 Gram Panchayats. Through sale of compost and recyclable waste, the Panchayats have generated a total income of Rs. 75.41 lakh. 

·        Several villages in Nanded district in Maharashtra are “mosquito free” owing to the presence of individual soak pits called “magic pits” in every household. This helps them not only avoid water-borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera and jaundice due to reduced ground and surface water contamination, but also vector borne diseases like dengue, malaria and the dreaded zika virus.

·        Waste stabilization ponds have not only helped control the problem of safely draining out liquid waste in villages, but many of these ponds have been converted into beautified spots which have now become the pride of their villages.

Economic benefits of sanitation and SLWM

·         Lack of proper sanitation leads to a less healthy and less productive population, leading to economic loss. A World Bank study estimates that the resulting loss to the Indian economy is 6.4% of the GDP because of poor sanitation. According to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, India would save $19 billion worth of health care costs if everyone started washing their hands with soap before meals and after defecation.

·         We have seen this happen in our experiences at ODF villages in the last two years.

·         Bhusrapara village in Malda district, West Bengal has 14 households, without any toilets. The villagers regularly contracted diarrhea in the monsoons, the time when they got employment as agriculture labor. The village became ODF on 15th July 2015, after which there has been only one case of diarrhea in the village. The villagers estimate that they have saved between Rs.1800-Rs.3000 per person per year.

·         Since becoming ODF, Saragaon village in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh has recorded a reduction in loss of man-days from 83 per year earlier to 11 now. The average yearly health expenditure in the village has reduced by 85%. Increasing demand for toilets leads to increasing demand for masonry services. Nadia, the first ODF district in West Bengal set up two masonry training institutes which trained around 2400 men and women to construct toilets and became a source of livelihood.

 

Leveraging Technology to achieve scale

·         The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has started organizing virtual classroomsacross the country to build capacities of district officials and members of the rural community to trigger behaviour change in their villages. This initiative has helped achieve scale in capacity building an efficient and economical manner and has helped spread best practices rapidly across the country.

·         The Swachh App for mobile devices across Android, Apple and Windows phones has been very popular and useful to make the details of the progress of SBM-G readily accessible for all in real time.

 

Challenges

·         Importance of sustaining ODF and preventing slip-backs – This is very critical and there needs to be sustained efforts to ensure that once a village turns ODF, it stays ODF. The district administration must focus on continued awareness campaigns and sanitation champions must continue mobilizing people to highlight the importance of toilet usage even after attaining ODF status.

·         Aiming for ODF+ (ODF Plus) : ODF Villagesneed to include SLWM and general cleanliness as the ultimate goal to become truly “Swachh”.

 

Road ahead

·        Looking ahead, many States are on the verge of becoming ODF - Gujarat, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Mizoram are likely to achieve ODF status for all rural areas in their state by 31^st March 2017

·         Technology will need to be leveraged in terms of SLWM and sanitation solutions.Technology for information sharing and dissemination to enable learning from and implementing the best practices across the country by administration, institutions and individuals and will be a key focus area in the times to come.

·         Convergence of all government programs will be required for Swachhta and sanitation

·         The government is providing more flexibility and enhanced scale of finance to help districts become ODF at the earliest.

·         100 iconic placesidentified across the country – with 10 being cleaned up in Phase 1 – will be made Swachh as per international standards.

Performance is on track to meet the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin targets well before 2^ndOctober 2019.

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2nd of October holds a very special importance for the Indians

2nd of October holds a very special importance for the Indians:

The date 2nd of October holds a very special importance for the Indians. Any guesses why? It is the birthday of two very important personalities of India. These two personalities were the ones who changed the course of modern Indian history and politics. By now you must have guessed the names of these men. Yes, one of them is definitely Mahatma Gandhi.

Now who doesn't know about our Father Of The Nation? The great Mahatma, the freedom fighter, the man who won us freedom through non-violent methods. Though it took him years to get the British out of our land, yet he remained persistent and unyielding. His methods of Satyagraha (truth) and Ahimsa (non-violence) have become popular all over the world. Protesting against one of the mightiest power of the time, without shedding a drop of blood of the enemy, is something only Mahatma Gandhi could have done.

Hence, in the honour of our greatest political leader of the time, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, 2nd of October is declared as a national holiday throughout India. Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated by offering prayer services and tribute to Gandhiji all over India and especially at Rajghat where his remains lay.

So, any guesses about the second personality who shares his birthday with the Mahatma?

Not many people remember him or his birthday, but he was one of the most dynamic leader of his time. We are talking about the second Prime Minister of independent India, Lal Bahadur Shastri. Very few know that this great leader was an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the person who revolutionised the agricultural sector of India.

The White Revolution in India took roots under his leadership. He worked extensively to eliminate the social problems like food shortage, unemployment and poverty in India. His greatest achievements in his political career was the victory against Pakistan in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. It is during this time when Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the famous slogan of 'Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan', hailing the soldiers and the farmers. Apart from many outstanding national policies, Lal Bahadur Shastri also contributed significantly in India's foreign policies until his sudden death.

So, we celebrate the birthdays of two most important personalities of India on 2nd of October every year. One of them was the most prominent person in history while the others gave our country a move into the modern world.

Leaders pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, Lal Bahadur Shastri on their birth anniversary

Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjee attended a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan to mark 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.

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Former PM Manmohan Singh and PM Narendra Modi at Rajghat. ANI photo

Several leaders including Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, former PM Manmohan Singh, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Vice President Hamid Ansari among others reached Rajghat on Sunday morning and paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 147th birth anniversary.

Leader of opposition in the Parliament Ghulam Nabi Azad, Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu also paid homage to the ‘father of the nation’.

All the leaders also reached Vijay Ghat in New Delhi and offered their respects to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Meanwhile, President Pranab Mukherjee attended a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan to mark ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. On Saturday evening, he greeted the nation and said: “Gandhiji taught us the value of harmonious co-existence and mutual respect. He displayed a rare constellation of abilities and showed how individuals can advance social and political change. He had an exemplary passion for justice and an indefatigable spirit of service to mankind.”

India is also set to ratify the Paris climate deal on Sunday after the President signed it on Saturday. PM Narendra Modi had announced on September 25 that India will ratify the deal on Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary.

Jains granted minority status by central government

Jains granted minority status by central government:

New Delhi: Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Jain community was today accorded minority status by the central government which will enable them to avail of benefits in government schemes and programmes.

The decision to grant minority status to the community of about 50 lakh was taken at a meeting of Union Cabinet in Delhi, a day after Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi took up this issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A group of Jains had met Rahul yesterday to press for their long-standing demand for minority status and Rahul then spoke to Singh in their support. 

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The Jains became the sixth community to have minority status after Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis.

Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan told PTI that his ministry would soon issue a notification on the issue.

Once recognised as a minority, Jains would get a share in central funds earmarked for welfare programmes and scholarships for the minorities. They can also manage and administer their own educational institutions.

The community is already enjoying minority status in some states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan but the new decision extends that status across the country.

Numerically, the Jain community is small, with a population of about 50 lakh but they are prosperous, mostly engaged in business.

Khan said there had been a lot of representations from the community that they be treated as a minority. The ministry moved a cabinet note to this effect after Attorney General G E Vahanvati gave his go-ahead to their inclusion among notified minorities.

The Cabinet approved the inclusion of Jains in the list of notified minority communities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992 pending the outcome of court cases in addition to the five communities already notified as minorities under Section 2(c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992, an official statement said in Delhi.

Under Section 2 (c) of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) Act, 1992, five religious communities - Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis are declared as minority communities through a government notification issued in October 1993.

Thereafter, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been receiving regular representations and RTI applications for inclusion of Jains as a minority community under this section, the statement said.

Maa Brahmacharini – The Second Manifestation of Maa Durga

Maa Brahmacharini, Story, Mantra

Maa Brahmacharini – The Second Manifestation of Maa Durga

Maa Brahmacharini is the second manifestation of Maa Durga who is worshippied on the second day of Navratri. Here word “Brahm” refers to “Tapa”. So Brahmcharini means Tapa Charini – The one who perform Tapa or penance. It is Said that the “Vedas”, “Tatva” & “Tapa” are synonyms of word “Brahm”. The form of Brahmacharini is tremendously effulgent and extremely majestic.

Brahmacharini

She holds a rosary in her right hand and Kamandalu in her left. SHE personifies love and loyalty. Mata Bhramacharni is store-house of knowledge and wisdom. Rudraksha is HER most adorned ornament. When she was incarnated as the daughter of Himalaya, then influenced by the instructions of Devrishi Narada, she practiced very hard penances in order to obtain Lord Shiva as her divine consort. Due to her unearthly penances she was termed as Brahmacharini. She spent one thousand years, only on fruits and beet-roots. One hundred years she spent only by eating leafy vegetables. For a sufficient perfiod of time observing complete fast she suffered tormenting of nature like torrential rains and scorching sun and biting cold, under the open sky. After such a difficult routine she lived only on dry Bilva pattaras (leaves) fallen on the ground for three thousand years. She kept her engrossed for twenty-four hours in worshiping Lord Shiva. After that she gave up eating even these dry leaves. For several thousand years she went on without any food and water. Because she gave up eating dry Bilva leaves so she was known to be Aparna as one of her epithets.

After the hardship of penance for several thousand years her body became extremely lean and thin. She was reduced to skeleton only. Her penance, sharpened as it was, caused great disturbance in all the three worlds. The whole universe was shaken. The Gods, the Rishis, the Siddhas, the Munis all eulogized her penance as an unprecedented virtuous action. Ultimately Lord Brahma through an oracle addressed her and said to her in a very pleasant manner-O Goddess, so far nobody has ever practiced such an austere penance. Only you could have done it. This wonderful deed is being praised in all the four quarters. Your desire would be fulfilled. You will decidedly get Lord Shiva as your divine consort. Now stop your penance and go home. Your father would be shortly coming to take you back.

Legend states that in a previous birth she was Parvati Hemavati the daughter of Himvan. Once when she was busy in games with her friends,Naradaji came to see her and on reading her hand/palm-lines Narad Muni stated that, “You will get married with a naked-terrible ‘Bhole baba’ who was with you in the form of Sati, the daughter of Daksh in previous birth. But now you have to perform penance for him.” There upon Parvati told her mother Menaka that she would marry none except Shambhu, otherwise she would remain unmarried. Saying this she went to observe penance. That is why her name is famous as tapacharini – Brahmacharini. From that time her name Uma also became familiar. She is the one who practices devout austerity. Filled with bliss and happiness, she is the way to emancipation – Moksha.‘Brahma’ here refers to the meditative aspect of Brahmacharini and is always depicted as pious women or Sannyasin. She is also worshipped as goddess Tara and is associated with the pious form of Goddess Shakti. She is believed to be that aspect of Mother Goddess, which was present in Sati and Goddess Parvati, when they both did intense austerities to get Lord Shiva as husband. 

During the penance Mata Parvati did in order to gain Lord Shivji as her consort for thousands of yrs. without eating even leaves she penance so she was called ‘Aparna’. Seeing her body her mother uttered U-ma and so she is also called ‘Uma’. Her worship increases sacrifice,good deeds and restraint in humans. Rudraksha is her most adorned ornament.In some regions, Goddess Chamunda swarup of Durga is worshiped on the second day of Navratri. In this form she is believed to have killed the demons Chanda and Munda.There is a famous Chamunda Mata temple at Jodhpur.

Brahmacharini Durga is capable of providing unending benefits. By worshiping her the person inculcates penancing, renouncing, dispassion, ethical conduct and restraint in himself. Even in the most critical periods of struggle the mind remains unshaken and he does not deviate from the path of duty. By the grace of mother Brahmacharini he gets success and victory always and everywhere. 

On the second day of Navratri Durga Pooja it is the Brahmacharini aspect of mother Goddess Durga that is worshipped. This way the mind of the striver moving upward is established in Swadhisthana Chakra. The Yogi, who makes his mind stay in this Chakra gets the devotion and blessings of the Goddess.

Mantra to chant

Om doom durgaya namah. Bhramcharni devi is a store-house of knowledge and wisdom. Rudraksha is her most dear ornament. One hand holds a “Kumbha” or water pot and the other rosary beads of rudraksh. Special benediction–She personifies love and loyalty. We see energies of blue light manifesting bringing empowered actualization of goals. Mantra chanting empowers throat chakra, rectifies negative thoughts and blesses access for more liberating super karma and attracts forgiveness of negative karma. 

This day we also receive energies of strength and tolerance and create positive Karma to bring fame and fortune to ourselves and family. At this time blue light radiates from plants and trees in fine filaments activating throat and speech energies. Whatever is spoken will multiply for the next 6 months so on this day one must be particularly attentive to what one says out loud especially. We see the presence of energies of their Lordships Sita Ram–golden triangular energies of blessing as big as the human head descending from the north-east. 

All those who speak the truth during this time receive this energy within their mind, homes and future life. Offering: two apples and a candle/lamp to Bhramcharini devi morning and evening (after sunset); accept and share the apples in the evening with others. Mentally offer all fragrant flowers, fruits, gems, clothing.Offering of kheer – with lotus seeds (phul makhana) will bring glory to you.

ब्रह्मचारिणी

दधाना करपद्माभ्यामक्षमालाकमण्डलू ।
देवी प्रसीदतु मयि ब्रह्मचारिण्यनुत्तमा ।।

भगवती दुर्गा की नौ शक्तियों का दूसरा स्वरूप ब्रह्मचारिणी का है। ब्रह्म का अर्थ है, तपस्या, तप का आचरण करने वाली भगवती। जिस कारण उन्हें ब्रह्मचारिणी कहा गया, वेदस्तत्त्वं तपो ब्रह्म – वेद, तत्व और तप। ‘ ब्रह्म ‘ शब्द का अर्थ है ब्रह्मचारिणी देवी का स्वरूप पूर्ण ज्योतिर्मय एवं अत्यन्त भव्य है। इनके दाहिने हाथ में जप की माला एवं बाएं हाथ में कमण्डल रहता है। अपने पूर्व जन्म में ये राजा हिमालय के घर पुत्री रुप में उत्पन्न हुई थी। भगवान शंकर को पति रुप में प्राप्त करने के लिए इन्होने घोर तपस्या की थी। माँ दुर्गा का यह दूसरा स्वरुप भक्तों और सिद्धों को अनन्त फ़ल देने वाला कहा गया है। माँ ब्रह्मचारिणी देवी की कृपा से सर्वत्र सिद्धि और विजय की प्राप्ति होती है।

ध्यान

वन्दे वांच्छितलाभायचन्द्रर्घकृतशेखराम्।
जपमालाकमण्डलुधराब्रह्मचारिणी शुभाम्॥
गौरवर्णास्वाधिष्ठानास्थितांद्वितीय दुर्गा त्रिनेत्राम्।
धवल परिधानांब्रह्मरूपांपुष्पालंकारभूषिताम्॥
पद्मवंदनापल्लवाराधराकातंकपोलांपीन पयोधराम्।
कमनीयांलावण्यांस्मेरमुखीनिम्न नाभि नितम्बनीम्॥

स्तोत्र

तपश्चारिणीत्वंहितापत्रयनिवारिणीम्।
ब्रह्मरूपधराब्रह्मचारिणी प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
नवचक्रभेदनी त्वंहिनवऐश्वर्यप्रदायनीम्।
धनदासुखदा ब्रह्मचारिणी प्रणमाम्यहम्॥
शंकरप्रियात्वंहिभुक्ति-मुक्ति दायिनी।
शान्तिदामानदा,ब्रह्मचारिणी प्रणमाम्यहम्।

कवच

त्रिपुरा में हृदयेपातुललाटेपातुशंकरभामिनी।
अर्पणासदापातुनेत्रोअर्धरोचकपोलो॥
पंचदशीकण्ठेपातुमध्यदेशेपातुमहेश्वरी॥
षोडशीसदापातुनाभोगृहोचपादयो।
अंग प्रत्यंग सतत पातुब्रह्मचारिणी॥
मां दुर्गा का तृतीय स्वरूपब्रह्मचारिणी

Spirit Cave Mummy: The Incredible Discovery of Kennewick Man

Many cultural traditions surrounding death are meant to preserve a person’s legacy. Yet few souls could ever have expected to be remembered for so long. Nor could they possibly imagine the amount of controversy and scientific inquiry they would evoke thousands of years after their death. Such is the case of the man found entombed in Spirit Cave, 13 miles east of Fallon, Nevada. The naturally preserved body was first discovered in the 1940s but then shelved until the 1990s. Today, the battle over cultural heritage wages as scientists and Native Americans vie over the dead man’s fate.

In 1940, Sydney and Georgia Wheeler were hired by the Nevada State Parks Commission to excavate dry caves in the Lahontan Basin (northwest Nevada). Guano mining in the region threatened to destroy as-of-yet unfound archeology sites so the state wanted to find and salvage any artifacts of note. That summer, the couple went through many caves throughout Churchill County. One day, in early August, Sydney was injured when he was forced to quickly dodge an angry rattlesnake. He was thankfully not bitten; however, he did hurt his ankle to the point where his mobility was greatly reduced. The Wheelers sought shelter in a nearby, unexplored cave close to the road, allowing them to stay out of the blazing desert sun as they waited for a car to pass on the little-used highway. Being curious archeologists, they passed their time by examining the cave.

Extent of prehistoric Lake Lahontan ( CC BY-SA 3.0 )

“What they found," wrote Amy Dansie of the Nevada State Museum’s Anthropology Department, "was a remarkable example of arid-climate preservation.”

The Wheelers had stumbled upon two bodies wrapped in two tule (a marsh plant used for weaving) matts along with 67 artifacts including knives, animal bones, and baskets. The first body was in a poor state but the second, buried slightly deeper, was very well preserved. It is believed that the heat and aridity of the desert cave rapidly dried the corpse, leaving it partially mummified. The head was completely intact and even a bit of hair remained in place.

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Schoenoplectus acutus, also known as tule. (Public Domain )

Mummy Analysis

Later research revealed that the man was aged 45-55 and stood 5 feet 2 inches (1.57 meters) tall. His skull was fractured and he had horrible abscesses in his teeth, meaning he must likely suffered from a painful gum disease. He wore moccasins and was wrapped in a neatly woven shroud, suggesting that the people of the area were using looms before previously thought. Finally, fish bones were found in his mummified intestines, reflecting the Great Basin’s history as a lake before the water dried up as the glaciers receded.

The mummy discovered. ( friendsofpast.org)

Eventually, the Wheelers flagged down a passerby and, with the help of some local residents, managed to carefully bring the body into town. It was photographed, estimated to be about 1,500 years old, and then placed in a sealed box on a shelf in the Nevada State Museum. The Wheelers have since died, never knowing the incredible discovery they unearthed.

Another photo of the mummy discovered by the Wheelers. ( friendsofpast.org)

Revisiting the Cave

In 1994, the University of California, Riverside anthropologist R. Erv Taylor had the opportunity to revisit the Spirit Cave Mummy, also known as Kennewick Man, with the latest in dating technology. Using accelerator mass spectrometry, Taylor and his team tested 17 samples including hair, bones, the textiles, and wood. So, startling were the results that the researchers believed that there had been a mistake or that the method was flawed. Yet secondary examinations verified the results: the mummy was in fact buried 9,415 years ago (plus or minus 25 years).

“It's a big surprise,” said Robson Bonnichsen, director of the Center for the Study of the First Americans and a professor of anthropology at Oregon State University, in an interview with the New York Times. “It's a very pleasant surprise. This individual will provide real insight into what the people of the time looked like and what life style they had.”

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Initially, the features of the man and some information gleaned from the preliminary testing suggested that the mummy was not a member of any modern Native American tribes. Instead, he may be more closely related to the Ainu people, a minority group originating in Japan. However, in June this year, new genetic evidence determined that the 8,400-year-old remains of Kennewick Man were more closely related to modern Native Americans than any other living group.

Reconstruction of the mummy. (friendsofpast.org)

The Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) was enacted in 1990 to preserve existing Native American burial sites and to return any remains to their appropriate tribes. In 1997, the Paiute-Shoshone Tribe of Nevada’s Fallon Reservation put forward a NAGPRA claim to the Spirit Cave Mummy and the artifacts found with him. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) stated that, based on preliminary findings, the Spirit Cave Mummy was not affiliated with any known Native American tribe and therefore the NAGPRA claim is invalid.

“There is no geographic evidence indicating how long the Northern Paiute have occupied the Spirit Cave area prior to European contact in the early 1800s and none indicating who, if anyone, lived there at any earlier time,” said the BLM in a statement. The remains “predate contemporary Northern Paiute tribes and cannot reasonably be culturally affiliated with any of them.”

However, this claim was fiercely contested, and on 28 th September, 2016, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to return the ancient bones of the Spirit Cave mummy to a coalition of Columbia Basin tribes. Tribal Council Chairman JoDe Goudy said “It is time for us to finally lay our ancestor to rest and to end the desecration he’s suffered for far too long."