Threads of Evidence: The 1928 Hurricane Victims and Ways of Knowing Them

In this article, the authors consider how two poorly preserved sets of skeletal remains can help us reflect on our molecular methods in bioarchaeology. These two skeletons are labeled as having come from the 1928 hurricane that hit Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida, drowning 2000–3000 people overnight in floodwaters from the lake. Most were Black migrant laborers. With poor skeletal preservation and no archival records for the finding of these remains, the molecular data become our best way of understanding who these individuals were. However, as the authors illustrate, molecular data can only add to the story and can only work within our own preconceived notions of identity.