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Yasmeen Luqman
Dr. Dev Bose
ENGL 101
12th September 2015
Arizona State Museum
I moved to Tucson on August 18th, 2015, with no background or cultural knowledge
of the city I will be living in for the next two years. As a transfer student from Dubai, it was a
thrilling experience to step outside my comfort zone and become a Wildcat. I praise the
university for the vast diversity seen on campus, which persuaded me to enrich my cultural
fluency of Tucson. I decided to attend an open house at Arizona State Museum featuring the
Intimacy of Faith, which coincidently also exhibited the showcasing of 1519 Rebellion:
Itom Luturia.
Walking through the halls of the Arizona State Museum, I was overwhelmed with the
chatter of adoration. The first exhibit I submerged into was the Intimacy of Faith, a
collection of beautiful paintings that told stories of Mexican religious folk. The walls of the
hall are painted a soft indigo, the lighting was dim, creating an aura of serenity. The art pieces
are painted on tin; each sector consisted of 12 tin canvases that told stories that have been
embedded in Mexican culture for centuries. The use of paintings to tell a story reminded me
of the picture books that children read The flow between the paintings were subtle but
dramatic at the same time, similarly the texture of paint was smooth but coarse in some areas
to embellish the events depicted.
My favorite storyline was Horses, Floods, and Rabid Dogs; the art pieces were
electrifying but also showed the simplicity of miracles. What I learned from this storyline was
that religion was an intimate essential to daily life. The intimacy of faith is mostly
emphasized in the replica of San Xavier del Bac, which was a beautiful delicate statue,

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decorated with Milagros charms, Relicarios, and Holy Cards. The Milagros are scattered
around the statue concerning the healing powers of the saint. The Relicarios are two sided
metal lockets, which are highly prized, and rare, they are worn for shelter and highlight
devotion. This custom of giving public thanks to divine powers is an old tradition adopted in
several religions from around the world. The official veneration of Saint Francis Xavier is at
the San Xavier del Bac Mission, which is located on the Tohono Oodham San Xavier Indian
Reservation, South of Tucson.
I turned the corner to the next hall and noticed a senior woman enamored with a
painting telling the story of Joseph. The paintings were vibrant and engrossing, the transitions
between scenes were harmonious, and the theme of the exhibit strung the room together with
awe. Throughout my tour, I observed many of the museum visitors' honoring the Gifford
family, the family that made this exhibition possible. The Gifford family generously
displayed their private collection of the art pieces that have been kept safe for 45 years. The
family till today continues to cultivate its collection.
Southwest Native Pottery was next on the embellished tour. The room had glass cases
that reached the ceiling, each shelf cherishing vessels that hold deep roots in history. Pottery
is a worldwide art form that has been developed by several cultures throughout time; the
Greeks used pottery to tell myths and heroic stories while some cultures used pottery for
musical instruments. In Native American history, pottery was a traditional skill, passed down
through generations, as common as writing or speaking in todays world. Each Native
American tribe had their personalized signature or technique in creating these vessels, but the
common feature was that all the tribes made the pottery by hand.
While looking through the pottery pieces, I couldnt help but notice the delicacy of the
vessels and how much time and effort was put into it. Today, pottery is still practiced however
with the development of Kilns, and the process is sped up. Historical pottery has a sense of

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genuinely and patience which can be seen on the physical outcome. As you swirl through the
aisles of glass shelves, you notice the innovation in materials used and finishing touches, such
as polychrome pots or glazed effects.
I approached the final chapter of the exhibit, the 1519 Rebellion: Itom Luturia. Itom
Luturia means Our Truth. This was a showcase by three artists of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe,
Raul Osuna, Luis Rodriguez and Mario Valencia. This was an art scene that I was not
exposed to before and did not expect to see such an eccentric showcase at a museum. The trio
presented apparel, martial arts, music and several art pieces; their techniques included silkscreening and handmade apparel.
After the art exhibition, I decided to research more about the Yaqui tribe. The Pascua
Yaqui tribes are Native Americans in Southern Arizona with roots that reach back to 522 AD.
The name Yaqui comes from their settlement along the Yaqui River, where they cultivated
the crop, hunted and initiated trade where other nearby tribes such as the Shoshone, the
Pimas, and the Aztecs. An article by Ted Glines, from the Official Yaqui Nation website,
emphasizes how The Yaquis trained themselves to fight, withstand pain and die if necessary
to protect God-given land and family life. (2002), which is truly respectable. From this
article I see how the beginning of this deep devotion to roots and history started for the Yaqui
Tribe, it correlated with the art exhibit. It was clear that to the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, no matter
how caught up you get with today's technological revolution, the beliefs and culture will
blend with you.
I admired the sense of belonging that the artists clasped onto despite the modern times
that we live in today. The artists integrated history with modern elements such as hip-hop,
tattoo influences and mixed martial arts, challenging the classic and traditional art scene to
give a taste of Yaqui culture. The variety of art that has been experimented on, ranged from

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drawing on paper to printing on canvas and clothing, which I believe denotes true artistic
love, they challenged themselves and kept all options open.
I believe that art is the earliest form of speaking and writing. It feeds our imagination
and the more we devour it - the more exposed we are to cultures and traditions, the more we
have the sense of world-citizenship. Throughout the museum I was able to relate all the
showcases to stories and historical artifacts from my own culture, it created a bittersweet
sense of homesickness.
The art pieces reminded me of my fathers praises to my kindergarten paintings and
how he collected them, keeping that memory safe. The pottery reminded me of my mother,
aunts and grandmother gossiping over clay cooking pots on coal during family gatherings.
Coming from one of the fastest growing cities in the world, culture and tradition are crucial to
our upbringing, similar to that of the Yaqui Tribe. From the wise words of the late Sheikh
Zayed Al Nahyan (may he rest in peace): A nation without a past is a nation without a
present or a future. Thanks to God, our nation has a flourishing civilization, deep-rooted in
this land for many centuries. These roots will always flourish and bloom in the flourish
present of our nation and in its anticipated future.

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Works Cited
Glines, T. (2002). A Short History of the Yaqui Indians. Retrieved September 27, 2015.
Sheikh Zayed in Quotes. (2005). Retrieved September 27, 2015, from
http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/shaikh-zayed-in-quotes-1.306268