Listening to Our Ancestors

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian is featuring an exhibit called Listening to Our Ancestors. With 11 tribes spanning territories in the North Pacific coast, including Alaska, British Columbia and Washington, a variety of arts and artifacts celebrate the similarities and differences among the groups. Although each piece of clothing, mask, tool or art may distinguish one tribe from another, they all contain the same powerful symbolisms and ideas: their connection to their land and to their people.

As I looked at and read the descriptions of the artifacts, I found great beauty in their culture and their appreciation of life. It's a tragedy that the American Indians are struggling to preserve their identity, let alone pass it on to future generations. However, the artifacts allow their culture live on; their ancestors' voices are spoken through their art. Perhaps we should all look toward the past and try to learn from our ancestors. After all, they paved the road to lead us to where we are today.


The museum is located inside the US Customs House.


If I lived as an Indian back in the day, I would have been thrown off the boat for not helping them row.


Just like the clothing of today, the Indians' clothing represented where they came from, their status, and their individual personalities.


Left: a shaman drum. Right: turtle shells turned drums. Poor turtles...


Left: check out the bling on the mask's lip. Indians were the original grillz creators.


Ceremonial headdresses. Only prominent people who did something beneficial to the community could wear headdresses in ceremonies. Looks like the KKK copied somebody's headdress...


Imagine if you had to wake up next to this thing everyday.


Left: Opossum-bat? Right: art piece entitled, Heart of the People.