“Kennewick Man had the most genetic similarity among living peoples to Native Americans, including those in the Columbia River region where the skeleton was found. In February 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled that a direct cultural link between any of the Native American tribes and Kennewick Man could not be proved because of the age of the remains.”
So basically, to study the genetics of ancient people, and to see if Kennewick man showed strong genetic ties with modern Native Americans.
