ArcticEmpire

So, uh, click on the picture to enter the museum. Once inside, click on the various mannequins to learn more about the different cultures. I'll wait out here.

Oh, thank you for making me chuckle.

All finished browsing around? Did you check out the "hall of masks" right in the middle? It's good times. No, really. Alright, well, your loss. Below are some thoughts.

I'd say that this is an exhibition designed for people with little knowledge of the natives of the region, and only a slight tolerance additional learning (like me!). It's sort of like a display at a roadside tourist information office. And in conveying information quickly and painlessly, it's occasionally successful. For instance, on the Aleut page, a few short paragraphs tells you where they lived (both macro and micro); what they ate and how they obtained it; what their societal structure was like; and, depending on your interpretation of the sentence, that they were at risk of whales invading their villages.

One of the downsides to this exhibition is that it clearly had a number of contributors who were apparently working independently. The result is that the information is sort of all over the place. For instance, the heading on the Chukchi page says "Warriors and Traders", and then the two-paragraph description below mentions neither trade nor war. This extends to the "[native group] Today" subsections (aside: why this info is spread out over different pages is a mystery). The Athapaskan one…I dunno, it sounds like a brochure for a spa or something. Most talk about modern self-government efforts, but in impressively uninformative fashion: I don't feel like I've learned a thing about the modern way of life for most of these people. The one interesting exception is the page about Chukchi people today. There the author gives the impression that the encroachment of western culture has made recent generations of ethnic Chukchis unenthusiastic about going out and herding reindeer, and that this is a bad thing. Which, I dunno, chasing ungulates through the snow doesn't sound like much fun to me, and I can't blame present-day Chukchis for feeling the same way.

I bet that if I had a middle school project to do about Alaskan/Siberian natives, I would plagiarize this site like there were no tomorrow, but I think the ASC needs to step their game up a bit. They doled out some good information on how north Pacific peoples used to live, but not enough. Then they left almost completely unanswered the fairly logical follow-up question of "what about today?". Also, there was a dearth of pictures, which, come on, everybody loves pictures.

What materials are presented and how are theyorganized? Which elements of the exhibition are most and least effective? There are several sub-headings within the interactive exhibition, one of which is entitled "Journey." Within this sub-heading, the opening page presents you with information regarding the origins of the expedition. This is particularly important as many are aware of the expedition but often overlook the precise reasoning behind it. This is a great introduction because it provides the necessary context to ensure that rest of the exhibition can be fully appreciated. This page also contains a link to an interactive map, which traces the route of Lewis & Clark across the eastern United States, through recently purchased Louisiana and into Oregon Country in the Pacific North West. The map successfully numerically plots the main points of expeditions without being overwhelming or exhaustive. However, detail is still maintained with every point (when clicked) providing contextual background music, images and information of the specific place while the exact route of the expedition traces interactively across the screen. This is fantastic because it brings you further into the experience, making it one of the most effective attributes of the site. Another great feature is the illustrative focus upon Lewis & Clarks interactions with the natives. The map does well to reiterate the often unheeded fact that the journey was not only about crossing geographical divides but was also about crossing cultural divides as well.

Another subheading within the site is titled "Themes." This portion of the site does well to explore the numerous themes that together helped to define the expedition. Three poignant themes are "Discovering Each Other" "Curing and Plants" and "The Measure of the Country." "Discovering Each Other" explores the unique and often tense relationship that the members of the expedition had with the native Indians that they encountered. This portion does a very good job of presenting a neutral perspective of the relationship, maintaining that both parties struggled to make sense of each other largely because they both interacted based on preconception and assumptions, failing to see the unifying humanity they both shared. This again provides much needed framework to truly appreciate the epic expedition. "Curing and Plants" looks at the transfer of medical knowledge between the natives and the explorers. This portion does well to illustrate transmission and accumulation of knowledge, which as was part of the original Jeffersonian goals of the expedition. The final piece "The Measure of the Country" does an amazing job to describe Clark's creation of a map of the North West demonstrating the mechanically precise and intricate technique that map making had become. As the expedition meandered across North America, Clark made recordings not only of people but also of time and space; the importance of which we have all become intimately familiar.

The final subheading is "Gallery." This part of the site is also interesting because it provides a visual stimulus and helps to further contextualize the expedition. The numerous images explore topics of politics, geography, animals, language, health and trade and draw comparisons of these topics between the Americans and the natives. There are also numerous maps and images of artifacts that help to visualize the account of this truly amazing expedition.

This "Gold Fever" section is a great and lengthy introduction to site. This link provides two parts of mostly general background information concerning the Gold Rush in California. This section takes you from the beginning of the Gold Rush, such as the lure of gold to all cultures, the news of gold in California, and the initial journeys from all over the world, to the actual happenings of the Gold Rush in California. We are provided with history, images and sounds of the important areas of the Gold Rush including San Francisco and Los Angeles. However, I feel that this are of the online exhibition is not as strong as some of the others. Personally, one strength an exhibition must have is entertainment and easily accessible information. I think that the copious amounts of text kind of turn readers away.

One last area I find interesting enough to mention is the "Natives and Immigrants" section. I think one thing that often gets lost in the story of the Gold Rush is the effect it had on people other than Americans and those lucky enough to strike it rich. In this section we get further insight (there are some stories from immigrants in the "Experience the Gold Rush" section) to the different ethnic groups such as California Indians, the Chinese, the Californios/Latinos, and African Americans. I think this section is a positive for the exhibition as a whole because it really rounds it out, showing another side of the California Gold Rush.