Museum Exhibit: Infinity of Nations - Research Paper Example

Due Museum Exhibit: Infinity of Nations The National Museum of the American Indian is run under the sponsorship of the Smithsonian institute which is dedicated to the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of the Native Americans of the Western Hemisphere. Some of the artifacts exhibited here are those of the Northwest Coast tribes (Stewart, 16). The national people are the pre-Columbian residents of the appeasing Northwest Coast and they are presently to be found in the Canadian Province of British Columbia and in some states of the U.S which include: Alaska, Washington and Oregon. The most well off populace of the Northwest Coast were the Haida and the Tlingit. These exhibits simplify their cultures and their ancient habits as is discussed below. One is their food and this is exposed in the museum by the objects like baskets, fishing nets, clasps and canoes. It was a rich place and these tribes were attracted by the magnificent mountains, beaches, thick forests and mild weather. There was abundant salmon that wandered through coastal river and provided a reliable source of food. To gather the rains, tribes had developed dams, fish weirs, traps and nets, fish baskets, clasps and lines and other technologies. Halibut was harvested with specialty designed hooks and floats. Their movement from one location to the other was made simple by dugout canoes which took them into the waters that encircled the numerous land masses of the coastal area (Stewart, 24).Due to high productivity of the territory there was efficiency in provision of food and this allowed tribes to have time to extend their distinctive body of artwork. They valued cedar tree and used it to construct baskets, nets for fishing and tying ropes. The inhabitants of the Northwest Coast had affluent cultures and they practiced a lot of activities and this can also be traced in the museum. One of their cultural function was a potlatch which is a very multifaceted event where people came together to remember a particular occasion for instance appointment of a new chief, tattooing ceremonies, conquest over battle and so forth. The citizens engaged in competition with each other during the event and every tribe was given a chance to put on show its wealth. The chief from each tribe presents gifts to visitors present so as to ascertain his status and authority. It was believed that by appreciating the gifts from the chief, the visitors expressed their endorsement for the chief. During this great feast there were displays like burning of articles or throwing stuff into the sea to symbolize the richness of the chief. The occasion would then be graced by dancing and dramas from well talented groups (Waldman, 42). In addition the Northwest tribes had a diversity of music which varied depending on the gathering to be held and the expression required. The main reason of this music was spiritual to tribute the creator and ancestors (Stewart, 27). They had many songs with special dancing styles and most of the singing was stated by a soloist then the community joined in. There were also songs which were done in groups of men or women alone and not necessarily accompanied by instruments. Music is evidenced by the many exhibits of instruments which were used and they include hand drums made of animal hides, plank drums, log drums, box drums, whistlers, wood clappers, and rattles. Each family had their own songs and they kept rehearsing as those who made errors in music were punished. The presence of beads, shells and porcupine spikes in the museum is a good sign of artwork. In all the tribal communities people had abundant talents in arts. The art was mostly enhanced by the plentiful natural resources. During their leisure time they made beautiful objects, clothes and ornaments and apart from the beauty aspect they were used to broadcast their history, ancestral and educative stories, possessions and wisdom from the old age group to the younger generation. It was through art that they catered for most of their daily needs like outfits, shelter, utensils and devices which they used for hunting and war. The baskets were used for luggage compartment and transportation purposes. Moreover, art acted as a connection between the indigenous citizens and the soil they originated from as it took them back to their olden times, heredity, birth places and the way of life in the earlier days (Waldman, 54). The Northwest coastal tribes valued spirituality and they considered it as a pillar of their everyday life; most of their worldly belongings were embellished with symbols and signs that signified very significant figures. The spirit who guarded them was manifested many types of objects and will be acquired in times of sacrifice, fasting and prayer (Waldman, 65). The affiliation between an individual and his/her guardian spirit was personal and at times would be articulated through songs and dances done during ceremonies. They also believed in the healing power of the supernatural beings. On the other hand the Northwest Coastal ethnic groups do have a reservation which is Nisqually Indian Reservation. Nisqually is a national American tribe in western Washington State in the United States and they exist in the above mentioned reservation in the Nisqually River valley near the river delta. The Quileute people are perhaps the most well identified for their outstanding language. The ethnic group used to identify themselves as the citizens of the grass country. Just like the other tribes of the Northwest, the people of Nisqually people carried out fishing activity for salmon as their daily lifestyle (Stewart, 43). As a fishing people, fishing was not only regarded as a source of their food but was also valued as the establishment of their culture. This tribe has well structured governance body which is the General Council and their constitution and bylaws were permitted on September 1946 and later amended in 1994. The daily business and economic dealings of the tribe are watched over by a tribal committee composed of seven tribal members selected by the tribe’s voting membership. Another ancient culture is craftsmanship which was commonly done by the quileutes; they were talented builders and craftsmen. Just like the other tribes in that territory they were experts in making strong boats and canoes for whaling and could hold tons of cargo and people. A further case in point is the impermeable skirts and hats they used to craft so as to safeguard themselves against serious rainfall. Up to date the Quileute language is used by the citizens; unfortunately it is at risk of vanishing for it is spoken merely by ethnic leaders at La Push, and several of the Makah (Waldman.66). It is also unrelated from most others verbal languages around the sphere in that, the language have no "m" or "n" nasal sounds. The words in Quileute language used to be very elongated and could from time to time convey thoughts rather than simply words. Work Cited Stewart, Hillary. Indian Fishing: Early Methods on the Northwest Coast. Columbia: Douglas and McIntyre Ltd, 2004. Print. Waldman, Carl. Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes. New York: InfoBase publishing, 2006. Print. Read More