1. The American Gospel (in two part harmony): Clovis First and the Mackenzie corridor

2. Naco, Arizona Clovis cache

3. Clovis Point Mounted to Shaft

4. Atl atls: a Folsom tool

5. Folsom Point

6. The American Gospel (new testament): 3 Waves of Migration
Supported by:
Archaeological Evidence (e.g. Clovis & Folsom)
Linguistic evidence (Greenberg and Nichols)
Genetic evidence (Cavalli-Sforza)
Biological evidence (Turner and others)
Geological evidence
Mackenzie Corridor (aka ice-free corridor)
Known existence of Beringia in late Pleistocene

7. Linguistic Evidence: Nichols and Greenberg
Dates BP
Linguistic & Genetic Evidence
32,000
ancestors of Amerindian speakers (now distributed over nearly all of the Americas)
11, ,000
ancestors of Na-Diné speakers (distributed over the northern half of North America)
6, ,400
ancestors of Eskimo-Aleut speakers (distributed in the northernmost part of North America)

8. Genetic Evidence: Cavalli-Sforza et al.
mtDNA analysis shows only four major groups of mtDNA in Native Americans
These patterns are only found in America and Asia
Distribution of the traits shows a likely model of 3 “waves” of migration
First (Amerindian) ,000 BP
Second (Amerindian) 12-15,000 BP
Third (Na-Diné) 7-9,000 BP

9. Dental Evidence: Turner

10. Shoveled Incisors

11. Geological Evidence: Accessibility of Possible Routes
Dates BC
Beringia "Land Bridge"
Coastal Route
Mackenzie Corridor
38,000-34,000
accessible (open)
open
closed
34,000-30,000
submerged (closed)
30,000-22,000
22,000-15,000
15,000 BC - today

12. Hypothesis: Constant Native Presence
Supported by some oral histories
Refuted by:
Lack of evidence for infinite human occupation
Disparity of agreement in native myths
Scientific findings of people who just don’t look “Indian” e.g. the 9000 year old Kennewick Man in 1996

13. Hypothesis: European Origins
Supported by Stanford’s “Solutrean Solution”
Fluted points and toolkits are nearly identical
Red ochre use
Caching of large bifaces and other stock
Brown et al. report mtDNA similarities
Refuted by:
No boats
No direct archaeological ties
4500 year time gap between Clovis and Solutrean

14. Hypothesis:Pacific Crossing
Supported by:
Age estimates at Monte Verde, Chile and other sites (12,000 to 30,000 BP)
Morphology of ancient remains like Luzia
Morphology of modern Tierra del Fuegans
Refuted by:
Lack of evidence for boats
Could also be explained by an overland journey

15. Hypothesis: Pacific Coastal Route
Supported by:
Daryl Fedje’s work off Queen Charlotte
Recent evidence suggesting no ice-free corridor between 21,000 and 11,500 BP
Consistent with much of “Clovis First”, but accounts for earlier dates now accepted
Refuted by:
Difficulty of underwater excavation to build more solid case

16. Native American Origins: What are the Possibilities?