Welcome back! Hope you all had a great winter break. This week’s blog, we were asked to visit the Amazonia exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology, to help us prepare and meet the exhibit’s curator, Nuno Porto, on the 19th of January. I am looking forward to the visit and learn more about the indigenous culture and lifestyle.
On 16th of January, my friend from Hong Kong and I entered the Museum together. As he had a limited of traveling budget, I left him behind. The first object I saw was the giant totem poles located on the left side of the aisle. They were well craved by the indigenous people to represent and commemorate ancestry, history, and people. There are old pictures and descriptions displayed on the outside of the exhibit to describe the historical and cultural context of a tribe’s culture and the meaning to these people. Often, the colors and the patterns of a symbol show the prestige and wealth of the indigenous people.
At the Amazonia exhibition, many survival tools are either displayed in a container or a restricted area to prevent visitors making physical contact with the exhibits. Many exciting exhibits allowed me to learn more about their society. For me, the most eye-catching was the darts and spears. Both serve as the vital survival tools for the indigenous people; those were the “weapons” to them. Hunting was a big part of the contribution for attacking animals for their meat and skin/fur, or other intruders. Another famous traditional exhibit was the hammock, the color of the patterns was designed vividly, drawing a significant impression on it. With its flexible texture, the hammock allows itself to stretch from tree to tree, serving as a pleasurable item. Indeed, these tools represent the basic needs of the indigenous people (Amazonian).
The visit of Amazonia brings up the issue of deforestation in Amazon Tropical Rainforest, as personally, I sincerely feel attached to it. In high school geography class, we often tackled the problem of disrupting the lives of the indigenous people. Large corporations often over-exploits forest areas for logging, open lands for agriculture and infrastructure. More importantly, deforestation relocates and affects the vast majority of the indigenous people, which in many ways would disrupt their lifestyle. Also, deforestation may disturb the inhabitants of rare species, which it potentially contributes to medical remedies or other scientific research. The bonding and connection amongst the indigenous people, natural resources and species are essential to functionalize their society.
In conclusion, this valuable visit allows me to open my eyes and see the world in a more profound understanding. It is fascinating to learn the indigenous culture and lifestyle through observing different survival essential tools to meet their needs. The theme of survival and cultural context has definitely been a worthwhile lesson for me.