On my first visit to the museum as a Jumpstart participant during my first week on the University of British Columbia campus, I was overwhelmed. We weren’t allowed much time to browse, and were rushed through the various rooms and exhibits, only getting a glimpse of the cultural variation that lives within the walls. I was particularly fascinated with a room in the back that projected figures, shapes, and colors on the walls. If you walked up to the walls and touched it, the light would follow you, dancing towards you and surrounding your shadow in the dimly lit room. I was also captivated by the wooden carving of a bird, resting proudly in a room by itself, under a dome of natural light.

The Museum of Anthropology as a whole maintains calm vibe. It comes from the soft floor, that mutes all footsteps passing through the winding hallways and the fact that all of the artifacts maintain their spiritual properties, and are made with natural materials that soften any noise. The tall wooden totem poles that flank the entrance put visitors into a humble trance. There is a hush that overcomes the rooms, as people whisper even though they are not specifically directed to. There is an unspoken reverence that becomes every visitor that steps into these rooms and halls. You feel as though you are being watched by the spirits of those who created the incredible relics that exist behind the thin, protective glass.

The Amazonia exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology, curated by Nuno Porto, invites us to examine the lives of the Amazonian people and think critically about our relationship with them and other indigenous cultures. Walking through the exhibit you could feel the presence of the jungle in the items collected and arranged in this exhibit. The Brazilian headdress presented in the exhibit immediately made me think of the jungle. The large feathers were proudly and tightly bound. The colors were deep and dark; purples, greys, and reds were mixed together to create a beautiful and almost haunting piece. My favorite pieces were the gourds from the lower Amazon. These gourds, little bowls, have been a part of indigenous culture since the 17th century. My favorite part of these gourds is how intricate and delicate the process of creating them is. I found that as recurring theme throughout the exhibit. All of these items and pieces of Amazonian culture are all created and designed with intense care and purpose. This led me to compare the means of production in the United States and how everything is so manufactured and instant. Production in developed countries today is guided by efficiency and cheap labor. This is a stark contrast to the way that things are built and produced in indigenous cultures. I was mostly observing this exhibit from a sociological lens. Comparing cultures and civilizations through this lens was most helpful in my reflections. I was also able to draw comparisons to my time living in Tanzania and living in the wilderness in Arizona. When the material and “front country” world disappears, your mind focuses on different things. Nature seems to have more meaning, and one connects with it more. This is evident in the creations of the Amazonian people and other Indigenous people’s tools and artwork. I find comfort in knowing that there are people in the world that still live such simple lives and are still so connected to nature and the world that surrounds them.