ABSTRACT
The question of when people first arrived in Australia and the Americas is the subject of intense scientific controversy. It is important to recognize that it is also a subject of great sensitivity to indigenous people. The archaeological debate is framed entirely on the basis of scientific inquiry, which is often in conflict with native beliefs. The question of when people first arrived can conflict with native convictions that their people have been in a place since creation. Bridging these disparate worldviews requires care and respect. Although archeologists have only recently begun dealing with this conflict, they have already made great strides. The development of postprocessual archaeology, which acknowledges alternative narratives and viewpoints, provides room for dialogue and constructive disagreement. Issues relating to the treatment of human remains that indigenous groups claim as ancestral require particular care.
