Scalped

In the few times I have been to The National Museum of the American Indian I have witnessed old relics and ancient artifacts that intrigue and awe the stroller wielding suburban family, but unfortunately they don’t seem to have the same effect on me. In my opinion one of the most interesting things about art is its ability to comment on society and the human condition. Most of the art on display was traditional Native American ceremonial dressings and instruments dug out of the ground only to end up in a glass box. I did not see much of the many pressing contemporary issues that plague the Native American community today. Alcoholism, crime, and poverty are issues I think are as much worth talking about as is history and cultural tradition. I once heard that all fiction is somehow based on fact. In the graphic novel Scalped, by Jason Aarons, about a small town on a Native American reservation about to open a casino. On this reservation there is an abundance of violence, alcohol abuse and mob presence draining the community dry. Stated in the pages of Scalped, the village portrayed boasts a 90% unemployment rate which by many standards might be considered 3^rd world. If any of this information is even remotely true I think seeing it in that museum would be speak volumes more than it does right now.