Reflection

I was extremely pleased to see that the museum of the american indian was done in an informative, respectful, and mindful manner. I say this because it's easy to devote a museum solely to the "interesting" parts of a culture, and I was glad to see that the museum was quite thorough in the way that the information was presented. For example, there was only a small exhibit on General Custer's defeat at Little Big Horn, an example of the traditionally "exciting" aspects of Native American culture, and there was much more on the day to day life of the modern Native American. I was happy to see the stereotypical "Indian" very much downplayed, and I was also happy to learn things I had never known, like the living conditions on reservations and the struggles of some of the modern Native Americans to stay close to their roots.

I was very taken aback by the architecture of the museum, to me, it was the best part. Everything seemed to flow and curve, it seemed the embodiment of the natural flow of life that the Native Americans believe in so firmly. just standing in the middle of the big circle on the ground floor and looking up, I couldn't see a single sharp angle or corner. It was very impressive. I really enjoy going to museums where the architecture matches the content; it enhances the experience greatly. In short, I thought that the Museum of the American Indian was a fitting tribute to our land's earliest occupants.