Hannah Piedad | Staff Writer
July 18, 2023
Attempting to explain how the world around us came to be is something that humans have been trying to do for millennia. In Anne Justice’s Cultural Anthropology focus area, scholars are examining various creation myths and stories from different cultures. Ranging from stories from Tlingit culture in Southern Alaska to stories from Australia, Cultural Anthropology scholars are being exposed to new perspectives that they may not have learned about before.
However, the scholars are not just examining the plot lines and intricacies of different creation myths, but instead, Anne has challenged them to think about the purpose of the stories and their cultural significance. After scholars did presentations on creation myths of their choosing, Anne had them break into groups where they were asked questions about how these stories celebrated the culture they come from, and what people can learn about humanity from the different stories. Anne also asked scholars why they thought these different creation myths were introduced in the first place. All of these questions and inquiries made scholars think critically about different cultures and their beliefs, and many of them talked about the innate curiosity we have as humans, and how it’s human nature to want answers and explanations for everything.
Anne’s classroom seemed to have a very trusting and comfortable atmosphere, as scholars freely shared their personal thoughts and beliefs on the topics being discussed. No one seemed afraid to be open with their opinions, as all of the scholars were respectful of each other’s different perspectives, and valued what their peers had to say.
Cultural Anthropology scholars discussing different creation myths
On July 10, Anne announced to her class that the scholars would be creating a “creation museum”, where they would be able to share the different creation myths and cultural stories they were learning about with the rest of the GSP community. When Anne announced this, scholars became very excited, and eagerly began brainstorming about what they wanted each of their setups to look like. Anne said that “We [the class] are so excited to share our creation museum with the community”. If you are able to go see this class’s creation museum, you should definitely jump at the opportunity, as this event is something to look forward to.
Anne said that her goals for her class are “challenging the scholars”and “empower[ing] each scholar as a storyteller”. After observing the class and learning about what goes on in it, it is safe to say that Anne is doing a fantastic job at completing said goals, and giving each of her scholars an enriching experience.
