A new culture...in my back yard

I've always said that I like to experience new and different cultures. Today I went with my friend Linda to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. They had a special emphasis today on the Aleut people. This a group of Alaska Natives that live on the Aleutian Islands and part of south west Alaska. Linda, herself, is Aleut, but has never been to the Aleutians and hasn't really experienced her own culture. So today I decided to go with her and we experienced it together. She had quite a different experience than I did, but I expected that. I was excited to be there and see all the native artifacts and do some craft projects, but I think something much deeper was going on with Linda.

We attended a little dance workshop, where we learned the "Halibut Dance." Native dancing tells a story. While I found the movements exhausting, it was fun. A way to express myself using another culture's method. After the class, Linda went to talk to the teacher, her name is Crystal. Long story short-they're related. Not a surprise.

They talked about their connected relations and shared some of the traditions of the Aleut people. They made plans to get together and Linda is even thinking about joining their dance group. Very cool!

So for one day, I was among the minority in my own town...and it was great. I learned a lot and truly appreciated another culture.