Denver Art Museum- Nicole Mittelstadt

            The Denver Art Museum was having a free day, so several of us went to see what it was like.  The building is huge! There are floors and floors of different exhibits from different cultures and different eras.  The display of Native American artifacts was especially interesting.  It was cool that some of the pieces looked familiar to me after going to the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum.  Many of the artifacts were religiously oriented.  They were used in ceremonies, dances, or rituals.  Everything the Native Americans made had a purpose.  Nothing just sat around for decoration.  Each item was used for something.  They didn’t waste or throw away anything.  Their reverence toward nature was inspiring.  It was obvious that they took the time and energy to make things perfect and beautiful.  The intricate details on everything from pots to clothing shows that the Native Americans truly cared about what they were doing and that they were doing it well.  There were many colors and symbols that represent different supernatural beings, seasons, and other aspects of nature.  Most tribes did not have a written language, so they communicated through drawings and symbols.  It’s hard to imagine living that way.  Today it’s difficult to find anything that is handmade or created from natural products.  It doesn’t seem like we want to take the time or money to make high quality items.  It is just simpler for us to take the easy way out, but this typically ends up with poor quality items and tons of waste.  I think we can all learn a lot from Native American artifacts.  We show much more respect towards nature and our God if we take the time and energy to live with purpose and make the effort regardless of cost.