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Anna Ogden
Matt Wilson
Writing 2
May 23, 2016
WP3: Genre Translation
Not a lot was known about the origin of the 9,000 year old skull found in Kennewick,
Washington. Being the most important human skeleton ever found in North America, many
people wanted access to the remains of the man. It sparked a large debate between the North
American groups of the area who demanded a ceremonial burial and engineers who were
interested in what it could offer the scientific community. This article by Erin Blakemore gave
great insight on this issue. She pointed out a 2015 study that validated the North American
identity of the individual, giving the native groups the opportunity for their ritual. Although, how
difficult would it be to translate this article topic to another genre? Perhaps a cover letter.
Although the two genres are not related, knowing the necessary skills and techniques would be
enough to do any translation. After all, a cover letter serves as a personal statement of
applications desiring to be hired by employers. In order to complete a translation like this, an
understanding of the audiences and conventions of both genres is required. In this case, we have
to understand that this article follows the popular conventions of informative pieces of writing
and was meant to be read by the archeological community. The new conventions of the cover
letter changed the purpose of the writing from a source of useful information into a convincing
personal statement.
For this translation, we have to understand the conventions and the audience of the new
genre. A cover letter is meant for employers seeking new workers. Like a newspaper article,
cover letters have very specific conventions. They must contain your name, contact information,

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and information of the employer. Additionally, it must explain why one deserves to be hired for a
certain position. A cover letter is an applicants way of convincing someone to hire them.
Therefore, one will include why they want the job and why they have what it takes to complete
it. For instance, the Kennewick Mans letter reads, After 9,000 years, I think I am a perfect fit
for this significant ritual. As a Native American myself, it would mean a great deal to be buried
in the land of my family and friends. This is always done in a formal style with a very specific
type of structure and jargon. I chose this genre for the translation because I have been
constructing many cover letters myself. At this point in my life, cover letters are necessary to
acquire an internship that will further my experience and skills while also earning a living.
During my translation, I picked out the aspects that made the Kennewick Man fit the part
for the burial. In the cover letter, it looks as though he is convincing the Native American groups
why he should be buried the in the meaningful ceremony. As I read Blakemores piece, I noted
aspects such as the 2015 study that meant he was a Native American, the fact that he is one of the
most important archeological finds ever, and even the irony that he has plenty of experience
underground. These factors fit the convention of why he deserves to be the subject of their ritual.
Although the translation definitely twisted the point of the informative article, it was effective
because it satisfied the qualifications of a modern cover letter. It successfully convinced the new
audience, the Native American groups, that the Kennewick Man was the perfect fit for the burial
and an excellent way to being the nations together. This is why it is crucial to understand the
conventions and audiences of both genres of the translation.
However, this translation did come with several challenges. For one, Blakemores article
did not provide the general information needed for the beginning of a cover letter. This section
includes the contact information of both the applicant and the employer. In this case, I was

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unaware of the information of the Kennewick Man and the Native Americans conducting the
burial. Although, the little information that was provided is used. For instance, it is important to
include the applicants location at the top for proper organization. For example, it reads,
Kennewick, Washington to inform employers of his place of residence. One could even say
that another challenge of this cover letter was obtaining a hand written signature at the bottom
because only the mans skull was unearthed In addition, two readings served as a great help in
performing this translation. First was Anne Lamotts, Shitty First Drafts. This reading points
out the benefits of a work that just started. When I first started writing cover letters, I would take
them in to Career and Counseling Services and they would rip it apart. I would make changes
and bring in revised copies repeatedly. After finishing the first draft of Kennewick Mans letter, I
had to restructure the piece to fit the organization of common cover letters, knowing the first
drafts issues were necessary for the final product. Secondly, was Kerry Dirks, Navigating
Genres. This was the very first reading ever assigned and it focuses on the conventions that
make up genres. Learning to write cover letters was no easy task, but understanding its audiences
and conventions helped me formulate what to say and how to say it. It was easy to emulate this
process for the Kennewick Mans cover letter.
Newspaper articles and cover letters are two extremely different genres. They apply to
separate audiences while utilizing various conventions. By understanding these factors from both
genres, it is easy make translations. During this process, the purpose of the piece changed to fit
these conventions. Now that the archeological community is aware that he identifies with the
Native Americans of the Washington, he just might be able to convince the native groups that he
should be ceremonially buried.

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Works Cited
Blakemore, Erin. Over 9,000 Years Later, Kennewick Man Will be Given a Native American
Burial. Smithsonian. 28 Apr. 2016. Web. 16 May 2016.