ART on View peoples throughout the world in order to preserve traditions. 90 Also at the inauguration was the United States Ambassador to Colombia, who publically declared that no government meeting had the power to strengthen ties between nations like a cultural exchange such as the one between the Bowers Museum and the Museo del Oro. One year after Traditions and Transitions returned to the Bowers, the Guangdong Museum agreed to host the exhibition. Two more museums, the Shanxi History Museum and the Hunan Provincial Museum, also signed on to the tour. The experience in Colombia had instilled lofty ideals and demonstrated the power of art in connecting people. But could similar outcomes be achieved in China? Would the artworks and their makers be appreciated? While the contents of the exhibition remained the same, some considerations were made for a Chinese audience. For example, the title of the exhibition was modified to First Americans to directly convey the exhibition’s subject matter. Additionally, at the request of the Guangdong Museum, some of the didactic texts were omitted, including those specific to art-making techniques and to Native American legends. Certain specific issues proved surprising. The word Inuit (the preferred term over the pejorative Eskimo) remained in all of the texts; however, careful consideration was given to the use of the word since it possesses a combination of Chinese characters that when read or spoken is displeasing, especially in comparison to the pleasantly combined characters and vocalization of the word Eskimo. More than the artworks themselves, the Guangdong Museum’s educational staff was intrigued about the history of and issues important to native people in the Americas. Sensitivities that have been cultivated over decades in the United States and Canada had to be addressed in order to break down certain stereotypes. These included the mistaken views that Native Americans are culturally homogenous and that, as a whole, they are less successful because they are culturally passive. It was understood that the Americas were colonized, but the lasting effects of those circumstances as they relate to Native Americans were unknown. A discussion regarding the rights of Native Americans in the United States to petition for and reclaim sacred and ceremonial items stemmed from the point of view that anything deemed precious should have its place in a museum where it can be appreciated by all. A common refrain in China was that the collection consisted of new art from a young nation. This sentiment is to be expected from a culture with such ancient roots, but ultimately this consideration did not impede visitors’ appreciation of the works’ beauty or their ability to con-
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