A man who apparently died 200-300 years ago and whose body was found in a melting glacier in British Columbia in 1999 is related to a family in Southern California, it was reported Wednesday.
The news was conveyed recently to 80-year-old Dorothy Rosenberg by her sister, who lives in Alaska, the Daily News reported. Rosenberg lives in Canyon Country in Southern California.
Rosenberg, who belongs to the Alaskan Tlingit tribe, learned through DNA testing that an iceman who died in the wilds of British Columbia is one of her ancestors, the newspaper reported.
The iceman could be a legendary Arctic trader celebrated in tribal lore. But even if he's not, the 20-something man -- whose body was found draped in squirrel pelts and wearing a hat made of roots -- is being welcomed as kin by his California cousins.
"We are also Jewish," Aaron Rosenberg of Hollywood, Dorothy Rosenberg's youngest son, told the Daily News. "We are the best of both tribes."
Three sheep hunters found the human remains in a melting glacier in 1999 on land in British Columbia, part of the traditional territory of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations.
The tribal name given to him translates as "Long Ago Person Found." DNA testing recently traced the remains to 17 people in Alaska and Canada, including Dorothy Rosenberg's sister, who lives in Juneau, Alaska.
It's thought that the iceman died between 1670 and 1850, Lawrence Joe, director of the tribe's Heritage Land and Resources Department, said in remarks reported by the Daily News.
Some southeast Alaskans believe Long Ago Person Found is Kaakaldeini, who was immortalized in song and stories.
According to oral tradition, Kaakaldeini was hurt while on a trade trip to Canada. When a storm rolled in, he told his companions to leave him, fearing they would go too slowly and perish in the storm if they tried to carry him off. The DNA results were released last month at a symposium on the discovery held in Victoria, British Columbia.
Source:Xinhua
|
Comment
Tell A Friend
Print Format
Save Article