"Window to American Indian past," by Sarah Torribio, Claremont Courier
Local elementary school kids got an up-close and interactive look at the rich and varied culture of American Indians last Friday when they took a field trip to the Pomona College Art Museum.
One trip downstairs took the kids into a state-of-the-art depository of thousands of tribal artifacts, from clothing to cradleboards, housed in the lower level of Bridges Auditorium.
The visit to the college’s Native American Collection Study Center (NACSC), which was afforded to most of the third graders in the district, is part of the NACSC Community Outreach pilot initiative, now in its third year.
The aim of the program is to strengthen ties between Pomona College and the Claremont community by offering educational enrichment to area students. The initiative also seeks to answer an important question: Can a collection of precious items that are vulnerable to deterioration be offered for public view and be protected at the same time?