>Museums and exhibits are often about presenting strong points of view.
>Some insitutions present the commonly accepted knowledge 
>(cultural, historical, artistic, scientific) and in the past 
>thirty years we have increasingly seen more alternaitve 
>approaches where culture and history and art are presented by 
>their own culture groups or by guest curators who can have 
>very different perspectives.

(snip)

>I think that if we practice a sort of cultural 
>correctness and narrow the perspectives available to the 
>public, we all are bound to suffer for it.

I rarely chime in on such debates but I think the essential difference
here is that the museum does not simply explore an alterative view (such
as a Native American creation story), but rather makes its point as
unequivocal fact. Indeed, it goes so far as to take factual things-- the
age of the Grand Canyon, for example-- and twists truth to support what
is, in the end, a myth that is being treated as fact.

Tolerance of other viewpoints is a vital part of our functioning as a
successful society. However this museum is formed around a particular
intolerance. Personally, I plan to avoid the place. But scores of people
will go and think this finally explains it all....

Pax,

Astrida

******************
Astrida Schaeffer, Assistant Director
The Art Gallery
University of New Hampshire
Paul Creative Arts Center
30 College Road
Durham, NH 03824
(603) 862-0310
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Fax: (603) 862-2191
******************

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