Culture Is Never Forgotten

1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/mediacommunity/19732891406/in/photostream/

When I entered the pomona college museum I felt really happy. The reason I felt happy was because it was good to see and know that not all of our history is lost. The artifacts that I saw today resembled our people and their souls. I can truly say I felt their presence there with us. It was beautiful seeing that today and I can not stress that enough.  Nonetheless, seeing those artifacts there got me sad as well. It hurt me to see that besides the artifacts that were displayed in the room, there was plenty more artifacts in the next door room that were just locked away. They were being treated as if they were test animals. It is truly unbelievable, the amount of sacred artifacts that what stored away. Hundreds of artifacts that told the stories of many native american tribes. We were always told stories about the artifacts we saw today and probably never imagined to ever see such things. Of course it is appreciated that they treated the artifacts with such cautious and care, they even put on a glove before touching anything, but we would appreciate it even more if they return those artifacts back home.

2. Of course native culture and college education can bind together. Thats what education is for. Native culture is history and present, so why not teach native culture just like how US history is taught. US history is only few hundred years old, native culture has been around for thousands of years. An example of native culture and college education coming together is Pitzer College. I love how they take into consideration the culture of native american tribes in their education.

3. Today was a really impactful day for me and for all of us. It was a mixture of emotions, ranging from happiness, to sadness, to disappointment, to hope. After the pomona college trip we were able to reflect on it along side Bingo and Rose Henry. Before anything else, I want to thank Bingo and Rose Henry for their bravery at the Pomona College. I can only imagine the overwhelming emotions they experienced after seeing all of their ancestors and their own stuff locked and in a way hidden in a room. It takes great courage and I thank them for that. I really enjoyed the time that Bingo came into the museum because he shared with us more than anyone can about the artifacts that were present. I don’t know what was more exciting to see, Bingo touching all the artifacts or the face the woman made every time Bingo did so. It was truly an amazing experience to see being share the history of the artifacts that not even the woman knew about. It was an amazing day.