Experience and Reflection-- Eiteljorg Museum

As a part of our Themed Learning Community (TLC)/ Freshman Success Seminar curriculum, my class visited Indianapolis’ Eiteljorg Museum this past September as an exercise in making connections between our preexisting definitions of “home” and “happiness” in contrast to those of varying Native American tribes across time.

Displays and artifacts, including showcases of pottery, jewelry, clothing, and artwork told the stories of Indiana’s Native American tribes. I learned how European frontiersmen forced these Native Americans west -- to modern-day Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Mexico, and Canada (among other places). For some, removal wiped out entire tribes; those such as the Mascouten, for example, do not survive today as a tribal entity. Looking back on my experience at the museum, I realize that the artifacts at the Eiteljorg Museum illustrated to me a story of persons who survived discrimination, ill-treatment, and a very long journey to reservation; I began to think about how the personal definitions of "family", “home”, and “happiness” might have been challenged by the Native Americans as they encountered hardship.

I personally define “family” as a group of people who protect my emotional and physical security. The place where I find these people is my “home”. From the Native American perspective, "home" changed in physical location and compromised the sense of security that "home" is supposed to provide. I also considered how the Native American peoples traveled a great distance, and their overall physical health was compromised. Many people could not survive such a long journey across the country-- family members must have been devastated as their loved ones became ill or died. Maybe as family members died off, the concept of "family" and the people that their definition included began to shift.

What could present-day Native Americans, or anyone for that matter, glean from such an experience, from an historical perspective? Can anyone find purpose in hardship? Also (as a class) we previously defined "happiness" as a sense of belonging and purpose within a group. But, what about the Native Americans? Did they stop experiencing happiness as they were transported across the nation?

I considered how cultural assimilation was intended to force the Native Americans to forget their heritage. They were sent to special schools on reservations to learn English and how to mimic the behaviors of other American children. Despite the fact that the Native Americans were the group of people truly native to North America, they were treated as outcasts. I realized at this point how big of a role personal perception plays in defining happiness.