Objects tell many stories.
This interesting sculpture is thought to represent a Man wearing a bearskin. One [tooltip tip=”In today’s world there are a number of different terms that refer to Indigenous People — terms such as American Indians, Native Americans, First Nations, and indigenous. We use these terms interchangeably. We also believe it is important for all of us to be mindful that most indigenous people prefer to have their tribal affiliation recognized. “]Native[/tooltip], LeAnne Howe believes it is a type of ancient Native ball player.
Visit a museum in your town and observe the artifacts on display. Are there stories posted near the artifacts? What do the stories tell about your community and who lived there? What happens if the object has no description? Would it tell its own story?
Pick an object that wasn’t meant to be a memorial and try to ‘read’ the object: What do you think the purpose was? What can you know about the people who used this thing? Does it reflect the values of the people who created it? Do you think the object had or has special meaning? Does it give you insight about something about the day-to-day life of the people who used it? Consider how you would want the story to be documented for future audiences. Now, create that story in a media of your choice.
