In 1904 the World’s Fair was in St. Louis. It is less commonly referred to as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. I mention this as it was an event that is still paying dividends to the metro area, Forest Park and many attractions therein leftover from the fair. Forest Park, bigger by 500 acres than the more famous Central Park in New York City. There are two golf courses within the park with a total of 54 holes. It houses the St. Louis Zoo, considered one of the best in the country. Certainly do not forget The Muny, an outdoor venue, that brings Broadway musicals to St. Louis every summer. There are multiple museums within the park and many other attractions. The museums are mostly free, for some events there is a small charge. The zoo is also free to get in. The park and it associated attractions are an amazing blessing for the area, and well used.
For the purpose of my current scribblings, I am going to focus on the St. Louis Art Museum. Señora and I recently met some friends there to view the Anselm Kiefer exhibit, Becoming the Sea. On the day we went, the museum had added a level to the exhibit by bringing a woman, Saundi McClain-Kloeckener, to interpret the art from her personal point of view. She was of a varied but interesting provenance. She self-described herself as Black, Cherokee – but not on the rolls. Somehow there was Jewishness mixed in there as well. Welcome to America.
She went on to apprise us that she was a retired 1st grade teacher, very active in Native American activities, learning two or three different Native American languages, and a water walker, but, as she quickly added, not the Jesus type. She and a group of other Native American activists had walked the whole Mississippi River from New Orleans to its source in Minnesota.
Afterwards she graciously spent much time with the folks who took the tour relating Continue reading “I Went Cherokee on Him”
