Day 2: Santa Fe

Today, we went to two museums in Santa Fe; both of which share Native American traditions and history with its visitors. The first one we explored was called the New Mexico History Museum. Here, I really enjoyed learning about the great importance the Navajo people had during World War II. During the war, the United States government used the Navajo for their language so that the Japanese could not decipher it. Sadly, this contribution to the War gets lost in many history textbooks about American history, and I believe it should have a greater standing in history classes around the country. My favorite artifact in the museum was the great seal of New Mexico that was made out of various pieces of hardware such as knives, keys and spoons. After this first museum, we went to lunch at Tia Sophia's. I had a chicken enchilada which was delicious! Then we went to the second museum- The New Mexico Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Here, we had the ability to speak with a famous Navajo weaver named Joyce Begay-Foss. I really enjoyed the presentation she gave us. She not only explained the long process of weaving, but also told us about many Navajo traditions. She also said that we are hurting Mother Earth and that we know Mother Earth is not happy due to all the recent natural disasters like the Tsunami/Earthquake in Japan. This inspired me to become a more environmentally friendly citizen of the earth and I will try to work harder to recycle, reduce and reuse. At night, we went to a restaurant called Gabriel's to stuff our faces with more wonderful Mexican food. This place was particularly special because they make the guacamole at your table! So Yummy!!! I can't wait to visit Taos tomorrow and to have the opportunity to learn more about the fascinating culture of the Navajo!