Was a great learning day. Colombia suffered a tumultuous past. The liberation from Spain left a country accustomed to class distinctions and institutional racism. But through heroic efforts and many setbacks the country seems to be celebrating its indigenous peoples
The Gold museum is a monument to the practices of these people which revolve around shamanic rituals and cosmology. Instead of just displaying the objectsㅇ, each aspect of indigenous life that uses gold and other valuables is painstakingly explained in detail. The viewer is drawn into the ritual, how it plays in the life of the people and the symbology of the objects.
The national museum details the history of the country including the nearly continuous violence through politics or drugs. Little by little Colombia has clawed its way to peace. FARC has been folded into the congress much like the IRA in Ireland. The narcos have been de’fanged. The two feuding parties have been co-opted by power sharing.
There are still vestiges of the past. Socioeconomically the country recognizes six classes. These are separated by geography but also,of course, by options. In an effort to regain balance applicants from lowest classes (1-2) get accepted first to university. Those from classes 5-6 subsidize services for lower classes. There are still skirmishes in the countryside and displaced homeless populate the cities.
The vibe is a good one all around. Even with its past the future holds hope and maybe for the first time in decades a fteedom from violence
Oh yeah and emeralds
Vii
