Today I was able to go spend about 4 hours at the Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum (Founded 1991) in Warner, NH. I arrived and surprisingly was one of the only people there as it just reopened for the season 6 days ago. Being one of the few there, I was able to have a personal tour of the exhibits and able to ask various questions. The tour started with a film on the history of the museum and the museum founder, Bud Thompson. At first it was a little slow, but it caught my attention when he mentioned his influence and inspiration arising from Chief Sachum SilverStar of the Pequot Indians in Connecticut. I felt a personal connection with this bit of information because I am from the town in Connecticut that the Pequot tribe originated from. I learned from the video that the Native American Tribes played the game of lacrosse to prepare for war and battle. The tour not only brought knowledge of the game and equipment used, but it was intriguing being able to understand and learn about the background and culture of the Native Americans who started the game. In the museum, they had 3 different lacrosse sticks. When we came upon the sticks, I was able to ask questions like "how long are the sticks?" "What are the sticks made of?" "Were there different variations or one commonly used stick?" and get answers, first-hand. After the tour of the museum, I was able to sit down and talk with one of the tour guides and learn her experience with the game of lacrosse. She told me that they often called the game "The little brother of war." It was a man's game and it was played through many villages on average 20 miles apart. That is almost the equivalent of Warner to Concord. After our talk, she lead me to the back of the museum where I was able to view an abundance of books in their own personal library. It was interesting to learn how important the game was to the tribes. I learned that the game was not so much played for pleasure and sport, as it is now, but instead as a lifestyle, and a gateway to manhood.
The Indian museum was a trip I needed to make not only to find more about the game of lacrosse and its history, but the culture and reasoning behind its origin. I was happy to find just that. I have a new appreciation for life itself and the significance of everything organic we use today and simplicity. The quote plastered in the entrance of the museum pretty much represents the Native American lifestyle.
"Every part of the earth is sacred to my people... Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every light mist in the dark forest, every clearing... and every winged creature is sacred to my people. We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The fragrant flowers are our sisters; the deer and mighty eagle are our brothers; the rocky peak, the fertile meadows, all things are connected like the blood that unites a family."
-Chief Seattle 1887
The Museum was also purposely shaped in a circle. Thompson's wife did this to demonstrate how they viewed life. There was no straight path and there was the element of surprise. You never know what is around the corner, so you must live in the present; not the future, not the past. They believed in the circle of life and that life should just keep going in the present. The shape of the circle is sacred to Indigenous people and fitting for the museum.
Tomorrow it is back to working on my movie. But, I now have a strong appreciation for the Native American lifestyle and I have learned much more about the emotional value lacrosse had for Indigenous people. Now seeing multiple wooden lacrosse sticks, I am eager to begin working on my very own for the majority of next week. I hope to maybe go back to the Indian museum and talk with Bud Thompson at some point in my life.
Yahoo!
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