African People Hall Observation

"One is born, One dies, The land increases" (Galla). When you first enter the hall this is the quotation written on the ceiling and it can be viewed and interpreted in many ways. One is born and dies in the same land or one is born and there is no hope or opportunity. The implication that one is born signifies birth and the welcoming of one into the world. When one is born they are added to the world and population is increased. When one dies it implies that life is over and one is taken off the earth and removed permanently. The fact that they are written right after each other can symbolize a balance or dualism because with life comes death, they go hand in hand and there is a balance. As one is born there is no loss or gain because one dies.
Knowledge is infinite so although it is my culture I can always learn new information. I am fascinated with my culture because although we were suppressed we still overcame. It is amazing to know that we were once not even included in the Constitution or allowed to vote and now we have Barrack Obama who is of African descent running for president. I used this museum trip not only as a means for getting information for this report but as a way to connect the past with the present. The museum was very successful at displaying the culture positively. Everything seemed chronological and there was a vast selection of
The spirit world exhibit stood out to me as well simply because it looked interesting. The way the display was set up made you curious enough to wonder what it was about. The spirit world is said to explain the living world and if you were good you were ensured an afterlife. In this afterlife you would have powers much more powerful than mans. Figurines and masks were used as a way to worship the ancestral spirits. The spirits of animals were said to convey the most power. The early humans exhibit was interesting solely because it explained the origin of my culture. It touched upon the first forms of art made with rocks and stones. It also displayed the tools used for hunting, gathering, cultivation, and herding but despite these positive aspects I found it quite boring. The room itself made me sleepy because of the color and as I was taking notes I could not help but want to leave. I was surprised at the fact that there were only two people including myself of African descent viewing the exhibit. I was proud that the hall was so beautifully designed and everything was well organized. It made me happy to see that people of several ethnicities were excited and intrigued by the different aspects of African culture. The hall was busy and people were drawing sketches, taking photos, and simply just enjoying the artifacts on