Pacific Voices

Brings together members of Washington State’s diverse Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American communities to explore sources of cultural identity.

If you had to choose only one object that embodies the richness of your culture and provides you with a sense of cultural identity, what would it be? This work presents the answers to this question. It features the stories that provide a fresh perspective on the multicultural world, as well as insights into the diverse cultures of the Pacific Rim.

The groundbreaking "Pacific Voices" exhibit grew out of a five-year collaborative process that brought together members of Washington State's diverse Asian, Pacific Islander, and Native American communities. The exhibition became a vehicle for the expression of a variety of voices exploring sources of cultural identity: objects, rituals, ceremonies, and traditions that both anchor and showcase the ways of life of Pacific Rim communities.

Each of the seventeen chapters highlights a unique cultural object: Rose Dang and Thuy Vu see the Vietnamese incense burner as a vehicle for carrying prayers; 'Iwalani Christian calls the Hawaiian pahu "the voice of the gods"; the Reverend Dean Koyama describes the Japanese obutsudan as an altar for remembering loved ones; and Vi Hilbert presents the Coast Salish river canoe as "a place to learn patience." Each vibrant narrative is accompanied by colorful photographs and illustrations, and helpful sidebars provide historical and contextual information. Taken together, the stories in Pacific Voices provide a fresh perspective on the multicultural world in which we live, as well asvaluable insights into the diverse cultures of the Pacific Rim.

For more information visit:http://www.burkemuseum.org/exhibits/pacific-voices-0