Empowering Sudanese Women and Girls

I thought this link was very interesting, as it gives a synopsis of work being done to help empower displaced and otherwise underprivledged Sudanese women and girls. Since the country has been suffering from the effects of a corrupt government, and ongoing genocide, there are many organizations committed to providing humanitarian aid to the people of Sudan. However, this specific organization (Sudan Reach Women's Foundation) has placed their focus on the empowerment of women and young girls, separating it from other charities working in the region. Although it is not just women and girls who need aid in Sudan, in a country where women are not as privledged as men (through cultural differences or oppression), I am happy to promote an organization like this one.
Their motto is:
The Sudan-Reach Women's Foundation is a grassroots organization committed to helping Sudanese women and girls realize their highest potential for personal and social growth through self-empowerment, education, and self-sufficiency. Our goal is to promote positive change in women's lives and enhance the communities in which they live. 

Please check out their website at:  http://www.sudanreach.org/

My first classes here at Goucher..What does it all mean?

Well...
Classes are wrapping up now.. Two ending, two more starting.. As I sit here, debating what to write, my mind instantly wanders to the maze parable Rory gave us in the beginning week.. I remember him walking around the maze on campus.. talking about how this program is going to be different for all of us, yet none of us can predict how it will end up.. how all we need to do is take the first step.. Well, I feel like that first step has been taken.

Since I left Goucher's campus on the 11th of August, my life has been a whirlwind. I could not have predicted how much I would learn, nor how much my life would be turned upside down. It started the night I got home from Baltimore and found out I'm pregnant..! My husband and I have been trying for a couple years now, and although we were both ecstatic, I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.... Seriously? Now???... Now that I just started my Masters??? Now that I have a job that I actually enjoy, and I'm volunteering at this place that I love??? Well, I guess sometimes the plans we make for ourselves don't always match up to the plans set out for us.. :)

So push ahead a few weeks, and quite a few "vomit breaks" and exhaustion spells later.. My life is still crazy, but I feel like I have made some progress. In just a few assignments, I have already learned more about this city I live in, than I have in the past year and a half of living here. While I haven't had the opportunities to get in as much scholarly research as I would have hoped to by now, the research I have done has set me up for nothing but success. I am truly starting to get a feel for the research which already exists regarding museums and community engagement (although there is TONS out there!!).. As I engage in scholarly debate with my classmates on Blackboard, I truly feel that I have the complete support of a true community behind me. Although this path may be different for all of us, we are all united in this great quest... and I can feel that every time I log in.


 Although I am not sure what discoveries the next classes bring, I am confident that they will guide me in my goals and dreams. I am anxious to do some more research involving the community events and projects already in place. As I try to figure out where my projects fit in, I am comforted in knowing that my intentions are good and my heart is in the right place. If I genuinely engage in my community, without any expectations, there is no doubt that I will be rewarded. As I adjust my schedule and my future plans to fit my changing life, I am confident that my project will serve me well. Although I cannot predict that next step, I know that in the end, my path will have been beautiful.

New and Innovative Ways to Connect to Your Audience

These links are great, as they discuss the benefits of using modern social media to better connect museums (and other cultural resources) to their audiences. Specifically, these links discuss mediums such as Twitter, Facebook, and even iPhone apps. In an era of social media and technology, it almost seems as if the previous methods of communication and audience interaction are somehow sub-par (or at least just really archaic). In the end, go with what is already working for your institution, but do not be afraid to go out on a limb and try new things! That iPhone app may be just the thing your new exhibit needs..

Dilen, Colleen. "Social Media in Museums: The Best Devote Their Websites To It."
http://colleendilen.com/2010/05/10/social-media-in-museums-the-best-devote-their-websites-to-it/

Museum Media, "What's the Benefit of Twitter for Museums? ."
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=190753872505&topic=11863

As Apple would say... "There's an app for that!" :)

Seattle: My Emerald City.

Some interesting information regarding Seattle's attempt to go green... Although the city could still improve significantly, they are making great strides. Having set the bar high for other cities to follow in the "green movement", they stand to only improve.

http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/eco-tourism/stories/destination-of-the-week-seattle

Whales In Our Midst: A Travelling Exhibit

I invite you to check out the exhibit titled "Whales In Our Midst" (currently on display in Port Townsend, WA). Created by Rick Chandler, the curator of the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, this travelling exhibit features one of the most prominent fixtures of the great Pacific Northwest: the orcas. In addition to the mammals themselves, the exhibit also features the dynamic relationships between these magnificant creatures and the people who have shared these waters with them for thousands of years. For information on how to obtain this exhibit for your facility, please contact the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum (Bainbridge Island, Washington) at (206) 842-2773.

Link featuring the exhibit (currently at the Marine Science Center in Port Townsend):

http://www.ptguide.com/pt-events/icalrepeat.detail/2010/09/04/3486/35/whales-in-our-midst-travelling-exhibit

Link featuring the exhibit when it first debuted in 2009 at the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum:

http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/kitsap/bir/news/70571357.html

My Neighbors: The Suquamish (People of the Clear Salt Water)

http://suquamish.org/HistoryCulture.aspx
This post is dedicated to my neighbors: The Suquamish Nation. The link describes the history and traditions of the Suquamish people, as well as their recent accomplishments and struggles.It also features quite a bit of information on Chief Sealth (whom the city of Seattle is named after); including the historic speech he gave in Seattle in 1854.Currently, the tribal nation in the process of building an new museum, which will eventually house the thousands of artifacts and culturally significant items of the "People of the Clear Salt Water". It is an exciting time for the Suquamish, as they move past the tragic events of the past and focus on the future preservation of their culture. I am honored and humbled to share these grounds with them.

Historic Site of Yama on Bainbridge Island, WA

The following links describe the current efforts to recover the archaeological material left behind at Yama; what's left of a once-thriving Japanese village on Bainbridge Island, Washington. While the Native American influence in this region is prevalent and ever-important, we must also remember the other demographics who make up the region's diverse history. Many of these links will focus on the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, as it has taken a critical role in the preservation and dedication of this now-overgrown site. Once things are set into motion, it will be interesting to see what happens with the archaeological excavation process. Please understand that no harm is intended to any affected party involved, as I present only the information which is available to the public via the internet.

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/bainbridge-conversation/2010/07/09/surprise-donation-will-jumpstart-investigation-into-b-i-s-vanished-village/

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jul/07/donor-offers-50000-to-preserve-artifacts-at-on/
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/may/15/is-bainbridges-vanished-village-better-off-or-as/

some words to live by....

As I sit here, consumed by all those things which I must do... I am reminded of a little saying:

Breathing in, I calm my body.
Breathing out, I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment.
I know this is a wonderful moment.
                                 -Thich Nhat Hanh, Being Peace

This project is not some final end-all-be-all.. Rather, it is the product of a long journey in which I am excited to take. Step by step, I will dwell in the moment.

some links which promote people who are doing extraordinary work...

While we all grapple with the idea of what this arbitrary concept of "cultural sustainability" really means, I thought I'd post a couple links which feature people doing just that.... Sustaining Culture... Although these links will feature many different people working in many different capacities, their goals are distinctly universal..

http://uidaho.edu/class/classfeatures/ftspokane

The above link describes an archaeological excavation project that a colleague of mine has been working on this year. I was invited by Tiffany Brunson while I was at the University of Idaho to be on her excavation team, although regrettably, I was unable to participate (due to relocation through my spouse's job). Although I wish I could have participated, I would like to eagerly showcase her efforts to my classmates (and a wider audience) through this blog. Her work at Fort Spokane is unique, in that it specifically looks at material culture found in a Native American Boarding School. At a time where the US Government focused on assimilating these people into European culture, their spirit and sense of identity ultimately prevailed. It is the material trace of this amazing spirit that Tiffany is ultimately trying to capture. When you look at it from a Native perspective instead of a strictly European perspective, the story truly changes. When we're no longer looking for artifacts which showcase a life that we're not familiar with; when we're truly helping to tell the Natives' stories of adaptation and survival through their own eyes, the real truth emerges.


http://www.bainbridgehistory.org/

I thought I would share this small island museum with anyone interested. This is the museum which I have devoted a lot of my time to. Currently, the BIHM is showcasing an exhibit titled "Ansel Adams- A Portrait of Manzanar". In 1943, Adams was invited to Manzanar (a Japanese-American internment camp) to document (through photography) the daily lives of those who were imprisoned in this government constructed city. Rather than focusing on the struggles these people were facing (by being forced to exist-with guns pointed at them-for three and a half years), Adams wanted to focus on the great human spirit he witnessed. In only a couple of months, the residents of Manzanar developed their own newspaper (which enjoyed state-wide circulation), their own co-op, their own hospital system, and even their own school system with little to no help from the US Government. Their school system was so successful, that it became a model for the rest of the state to follow. When the students of Manzanar rejoined their classmates (after the internment camps were closed), they often performed significantly better than their counterparts on tests. As Adams' only public documentary work, these photographs were published after the war. This book, titled "Born Free and Equal" was ill-received by the war-shaken American public, and was often publically burned. Adams eventually donated his work to the National Library of Congress, where it sat, untouched, for decades. It has only recently resurfaced.

This exhibit is a compilation of Adams' photographs, as well as some very riveting text and personal accounts (given by actual Bainbridge Island residents who were prisoners at Manzanar). While this exhibit will take your breath away, it will ultimately leave you wondering... Could this type of thing ever happen again?