
English: 
What draws me to the field of forensic
anthropology is its restorative
potential and this symbolic and
meaningful act of care that forensic
anthropologists can provide to someone
who was robbed of that care in their
final moments. My name is Robin Reineke
I am an Assistant Research Social Scientist
in the Southwest Center at the
University of Arizona.
I'm teaching a
course on forensic anthropology and
human rights. The course is going to
start with Argentina and then look at a
different historical application of the
field of forensic anthropology
throughout the world. Since moving here
in 2006 I've supported the local Medical
Examiner's Office on various initiatives
and efforts to help identify the remains
of those who died while crossing the
U.S.-Mexico border. And in the course of
doing that work I've been privileged to

English: 
What draws me to the field of forensic anthropology
is its restorative potential and this symbolic
and meaningful act of care that forensic anthropologists
can provide to someone who was robbed of that
care in their final moments.
My name is Robin
Reineke I am an Assistant Research Social
Scientist at the Southwest Center, University
of Arizona.
I am teaching a course on forensic anthropology
and human rights. The course is going to start
with Argentina and look at a different historical
application of the field of forensic anthropology
throughout the world.
Since moving here in 2006 I´ve supported
the local medical examiner's office on various
initiatives and efforts to help identify the
remains of those who have died while crossing
the U.S. Mexico border.

English: 
And, in the course of doing that work I´ve
come to know forensic anthropologists who
practice around the world.
And we´re going to have guest speakers who
were leaders, are leaders in their field but
were leaders at that moment too.
Argentina in the '80s was under the control
of a military dictatorship.
The discipline of forensic anthropology was
able to show that what these families of the
disappeared were saying was true.
And that was a moment when this emerging field
of forensic anthropology kind of grew wings
and communities of victims from that moment
on recognized
that there was a science that could provide
evidence that would back up what they had
to say.
I have no illusion that we are ever going
to identify all these people. I would love
for that to happen.
We will also talk to some local practitioners
who I know
are international heroes.
And whether interacting with the bones, or
the families, or

English: 
come to know forensic anthropologists
who practice around the world. And we're
going to have guest speakers who were
leaders are leaders in their field but
were leaders at that moment too.
Argentina in the ´80s was under the control of a
military dictatorship. The discipline of
forensic anthropology was able to show
that what these families of the
disappeared were saying was true.
And that was a moment where this emerging
field of forensic anthropology kind of
grew wings and communities of victims
from that moment on recognized that
there was a science that could provide
evidence that would back up what they
had to say.
I have no illusion that we're
ever gonna identify all these people.
I would love for that to happen.
We will also talk with some local practitioners
who I know are international heroes. And
whether interacting with the bones or

English: 
a truth commission, or the public, in all
of those interactions, what is being said
is that this person is fully human, and deserves
to be treated with respect and dignity.
In this moment with such intense pain and
suffering, I keep finding comfort in that
quote from Mr- Rogers to look for the helpers.
Forensic scientists are one of the helpers.
And this course is going to look into how
they do their science and how their science
can impact us and hopefully help us understand
complex and painful pasts.

English: 
the families or a truth commission or
the public in all of those interactions
what's being said is that this person is
fully human
and deserves to be treated with respect
and dignity.
In this moment with such
intense pain and suffering I keep
finding comfort in that quote from
Mister Rogers to look for the helpers.
Forensic scientists are one of the
helpers and this course is going to look
into how they do their science and how
their science can impact us and
hopefully help us understand complex and
painful pasts.
