Paper short abstract:

We present a case study of how victims of a landslide disaster were identified and reburied using traditional anthropological techniques without the aid of DNA technology. It is not always possible to use DNA in some contexts and despite this, identifications can still be successfully managed and achieved

Paper long abstract:

Guatemalan social anthropologists' valuable contribution to the identification process in mass graves is well documented. A landslide disaster, where initially 500 people were reported missing, gave anthropologists the opportunity to adapt the techniques used to identify the civil war dead to a disaster context. This presentation will focus on the identification of victims without the use of DNA technology. Anthropologists began to work within the community to investigate the real number of deaths and to begin to reconstruct community faith in the authorities. The community then supported the idea of recovering the dead, once the anthropologists had gained the trust of the local surviving population. This was achieved through meetings, interviews and observational work. The local authorities were also included in this process to approve the project legally, morally and spiritually. In Guatemala, including the families in the identification process is seen as a positive contribution to the healing cycle, allowing them to gain some control over the process of getting back their loved one identified. We aim to initiate a discussion on how, if any, lessons can be learned from working in a 'non-westernised' international environment where the death toll is inevitably higher in natural disasters than in western scenarios. Positive repercussions can include; mental tranquillity for the families who regain control of the grieving process; building community trust and gaining approval for the team; and finally the family and community are active participants in the process, rather than passive observers.