• What new understanding did you gain?

• How did your interpretation change or evolve?

• Which of your initial assumptions were challenged, confirmed, or complicated?

• What questions or curiosities remain?

• What information or context would help you better understand it?

• What questions emerge from your observations and interpretations?

• Whose knowledge or perspectives would be important to learn from?

• What would you want to learn next to deepen your understanding respectfully?

• Shape or form

• Materials

• Colours, textures, or patterns

• Design details or craftsmanship that stand out

Focus only on careful observation, without interpreting meaning or purpose yet.

• What do you think this cultural belonging might represent or communicate?

• What meanings or purposes might it hold?

• What prior knowledge, experiences, or perspectives are shaping your interpretation?

• What uncertainties or questions do you notice as you interpret this object?

• How could you adapt this inquiry activity for students in your own classroom or subject area?

• What strategies might help students think critically about museums and how knowledge and stories are represented?

• How can educators support respectful engagement with Indigenous perspectives and diverse knowledge systems?

• What approaches could help students consider ethical questions when learning from cultural belongings?

• Why might this cultural belonging be housed in a museum?

• What histories or circumstances may have shaped how it came to be displayed here?

• Who has authority or responsibility to share this belonging’s story?

• What responsibilities do museums and visitors have when engaging with cultural belongings?

Threshold

Door way

Anchoring to someone’s place or a place

The size is tremendous… is it signifying to others far away that they are welcome. The openess of the gate could represent that there is room and space (until you make it place)

Threshold

The size (tremendous) and openess symbolizes there is room and space (until you make it place)

Colour: Beige with black ink splats

-Our prior knowledge of the use of art as a form of self expression and resilience through any circumstance shaped our interpretation of this piece.

-We would like to know more about the artist story and her experience as a female graffiti artist in the midst of war.

-We are also wondering how it got here and why. (Was it gifted? Donated? Stolen?)

Meanings/Purpose: given that these drums are made from animal hides, I believe it is out of respect to the slain animal that they not only use all of its parts, but that its life is carried on through another means (in this instance, as a harbinger of song).

Prior Knowledge: I came to this conclusion from the lesson we had at Moody Middle in December when we played the drums before our Pedagogical Stances.

Questions: I am wondering what the black ink represents.

Patterns, Textures, Form, Design: many intricate patterns, bone texture/colour, it assymmetrical, beaded to connect it all

-bronze, red, gold colour

-heavy looking helmet with red chin strap

-full body suit

-Having a discussion about the ethics of museums and allowing students to question the drawbacks of museums.

-Provide students with graphic organizers (KWL, compass points).

-Acknowledging funds of knowledge and individual experiences as well as discussing with students that they don’t need to learn everything about the museum they can take what they need to learn.

We understand that it was a status symbol. These individuals were considered as part of the elite in society.

We believe that the cultural background of each individual will influence the way they perceive the artifact. If someone from the west who has no experience with Japanese culture interacted with this, they would probably have a western way of understanding samurais.

It’s made from sheep skin, is their a sacrifice that is made to create the costume or is it just the wool from the sheep that is used.

We always looked at museum artifacts as interesting and cool to look at. However, we had a discussion about the gathering of these items and if there was permission in obtaining.

We understand how these items can be unethically taken. This may lead to cultural appropriation and may cause distress amongst the Japanese community.

I found it beautiful that a local Coast Salish member decided to do this and give the museum permission to present his work as a way to reclaim the local Indigenous practice of persevering song through art.

Take photos, question what they are seeing, lots of prep such as what they are about to see!

-People wear it at funerals, ritual objects made of bone are a distinctive feature of the culture, serves as a reminder of life's brevity and the inevitability of death, Tibetan Buddhists often donate their bones to monasteries in order to gain spiritual merit after death

-Art can be made from countless different mediums, we weren't shocked when it was made of bones

-how would using human bones be perceived nowadays? Also why is this necklace whale and yak bone not human remains?

-Highly detailed embroidered costumes

-Elaborate headpieces

-Expressive carved faces

-Why are there no human remains but they are talking about it?

-Tantric Tibetan Buddhists or the Tibetan community that holds this knowledge

-Is there significance in the remains chosen? Is it made from the person that passed away?

BC has had a Japanese population that has been here for a long time. Specific people from the community may have helped organized the armour arriving here. However it also represents how western Museums bring in artifacts from around the world, even if it is not ethically done.

In my opinion the authority is within the Japanese community specifically those who have a understanding of Samurai culture, and Japanese history.

Those who engage need to be respectful, and also need to make sure they engage in learning more about the history of what they are engaging with. They should also pay tribute to those who have allowed this piece of their history to be shared, and respect the cultural, and historical traditions, and knowledge.

The different exhibits

-Discussing with students how to interact with the work/art/objects they see in the museum (observing, question)

-Each student will have their own funds of knowledge and individual experiences before going into the museum.

I love that the way in which music and history is preserved goes so against the colonial way we know and understand it now. The simple art of storing memories through music and drum-making is so creative and a beautiful way to incorporate place-based learning into the classroom.

To help students think critically, we would ask them prompting questions that get them to interact with the content more in depth. We would also have students reflect on the ways of how samurais lived, and compare to themselves/today’s society(around the world).

-colonialism is an ever-present hegemonic power and context that we must always keep in mind, especially when considering exhibits in a place like the MOA

-Tibetan people and Tantric Buddhists in particular. At the same time anyone can share this as long as they are not being disrespectful or claiming it as their own. (The story is generic enough and focused on a cultural context, if it was applied to an individual context it might be more out of pocket)

-Come with an open mind, even if you view something as older or "Primitive" realize that there is an inherent bias in you when you are viewing these things, for example human remains are not treated the same in western culture, but just because Tibetan/Tantric Buddhist culture views them differently doesn't mean we should view them as blasphemous or less than our culture. (People might be offended by the use of bones in particular human remains)

As I reflect, I wonder whether younger generations feel the same connection today and how this tradition continues to shape Taiwanese cultural identity in a modern world.

-I was not surprised that the human remains were not shown initially, after learning the context however I was more upset that they weren't included after and they went with the far more "safe" whale and yak bones (tbh to be fair idk if it is a legal issue/if the MOA or the exhibition curator feels comfortable/has the right to do so)

-they mention a bone trumpet in the writeup, I would like to have seen that in the exhibit

While the museum has a responsibility to present them respectfully and accurately, the story should also be shaped by Taiwanese communities and practitioners. Ideally, it is a shared responsibility, ensuring the tradition is represented with authenticity and cultural care.

-can get them to critically think about their own bias if they view showcasing bones/human remains as "gross" etc. or anything else that might be problematic

-encourage open mindedness, showcase the value in approaching things in a new way, validate FPPL and other Indigenous ways of knowing

-Frontload to make sure they are not disrespectful and realize that this is often a touchy subject, students are not always equipped to deal with touchy subjects like these, in addition Museums don't always aquire/curate their exhibits in the right way, examples pointing out bad examples of this (ie the curators steal the objects, don't have permission to share the story, do so solely for monetary gain, push a negative perspective of indigenous people being Primitive/savage or less than western people, or contradict the resources from the people's history are all possible examples of museums conducting unethical behavior that must be examined when consuming exhibits and museums through a critical lens, all valuable skills to teach your students!

While my initial view of it as nostalgic and traditional was confirmed, it was also complicated. I now understand its evolving role in modern media and its broader cultural significance beyond my personal memories.

Students would discuss critical questions, such as who decides how culture is presented and how to share stories respectfully, and reflect through a short writing task or visual “story map.” Finally, they would share their reflections with the class, connecting the artifact to its cultural context while practicing ethical and critical thinking.

As I reflect, I wonder whether younger generations feel the same connection today and how this tradition continues to shape Taiwanese cultural identity in a modern world.