The delegation of 12 from Kyrgyzstan visited Conner Prairie this past Saturday. Their faces reflected the mix of their heritage. The bronze skin, broad flat cheek bones and almond eyes of Mongolia; the fair complexions and light hair of Russia, and many variations in between. Including representatives from the cultural ministry, archeologists, anthropologists, teachers and even shepherds, they were here to find out how Conner Prairie has captured “American” culture so that they could go home and figure out how to capture theirs.
Where is Kyrgyzstan? As New Yorkers blur the states between Pennsylvania and California, we Americans are often guilty of confusing any nation east of Turkey and west of China. Kyrgystan lies in that region. Once a stop on the Silk Road trade route to China, Kyrgystan lived under Soviet rule until recently. As an independent entity, the country, rich in history, is just beginning the discussions about how it will teach its children about the past and how it will present itself to others. Dr. K. Anne Pyburn, Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University, created a project to assist with this process. It was she who brought the group to Conner Prairie.
Although they were here to learn from the “experts”, I couldn’t help reflecting that their search mirrors the relatively recent American quest to pin down a complex heritage. The Kyrgyzstanis are asking “Whose history is the important history” much as we have begun to ask what other stories beyond those of the Pilgrims and the Massachusetts Bay Colonists are important to tell our children.
I wondered if we, like the Kygyzstanis, were setting out today to capture and present American heritage if we would make the same choices about preservation and presentation that were made 100, 50 or even 25 years ago. What do you think?
Posted:
3/25/2009 2:19:27 PM by
Ellen Rosenthal | with
0 comments
It wasn’t my idea to start a blog. The first few times it was proposed; I protested.
Some younger, more tech-savvy staff members explained, “Conner Prairie is a place where guests get involved. Where they interact with staff and participate in activities. Our website should provide the same opportunities. Blogs are a way to exchange ideas and create community.”
Now I understand. Blogs aren’t just opinion pieces; they are a way to continue the conversation.
It might be safer to continue writing for publications where hardly anyone writes back, but I look forward to this new challenge. In the weeks to come you’ll find me and others expressing views, asking for input and wondering what’s on your mind.
For example, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about what we’ll tell future generations about the economic collapse of the past year. Now, more than anytime in the past, I’ve been asking myself, “What should I notice? What events and news stories are important to remember? What will people want to know?”
Residents of Conner Prairie’s Prairietown, set in 1836, lived on the brink of the 1837 economic panic. But the times were different. News took weeks, not seconds to reach them. Surely they couldn’t have felt the anxiety we all share now. Or did they?
If in 2019 you were creating a living history recreation of 2009 how would you represent this time period?
I look forward to our conversations in the months to come.
Posted:
3/17/2009 5:23:42 PM by
Ellen Rosenthal | with
0 commentsRecent Posts
An Experience Under Wraps
My Favorite View at Conner Prairie
Winterizing Conner Prairie Staff
Always Something New at Conner Prairie!
Sheep to Shawl