East River, Take My Mind

Taken in an annex

Today was Monday. The Customs House, the National Museum of the American Indian, a quick peek at (views from) the National Archives, and of course, Pioneer Works.

Our ferry ride to Red Hook was a sure highlight of the day, as were those sandwiches. And coffee. (So thanks.)

I highly enjoyed working together in our groups in the format provided by David. It was quite helpful for our project focus and determination. I am grateful to the Pioneer Works team for furnishing us with the time and space.

Director of Public Engagement, Sheetal Prajapati, provided a comprehensive tour and the due diligence of a multi/trans/inter-disciplinary “institution.” I have given similar tours and could relate to the tone that goes with explaining many of their open-ended initiatives taking place in their literal and figurative space. Just one thing I was most impressed by were the community projects, and the influence they are able to have on local public schools, enough to provide not only 120 youth reader copies of Leland Melvin’s autobiography, but also actual sit-down time with the man. This is interpretive educational gold!

Manifestipi by ITWÉ Collective at NMAI.

Artist/sound, storage/drum.

Working backward, if I may, the National Museum of American Indian contains grand and utter beauty. Contains it. The interior has that federal, bureaucratic coldness, though, of lacking a friendly frontline staff, the warmth of seeing or simply sensing the team within a place. Nonetheless, it is an important place, a power place, a vessel not for portage but for mere and partial containment. Fated disturbances from long ago, yet we know not how Mr. Heye mustered “bravery” toward his expeditions, nor his plundering. He said himself that his collection pieces were “sources of vistas and dreams of their makers and owners.” (Fialka, WSJ, 2004)

Bravery was valued differently when Heye was alive, though I believe it meant the same thing to the white man as it did to the Lakota, or the Sioux, the Navajo or Muscogee, Cheyenne, the list goes on. Rewards for bravery were never of the same value, though, and therein lies the rub.