Why are the ancestors undervalued, presumed to be simple, thought to be not like us?
Our people have been recreated in reverse, most never leaving the mud they were found in. Growing up, my impression was of a bleak landscape of earth tones, where buildings, statues, walls and streets are dirty and desaturated. It’s a place devoid of context and humanity, with a timeline that seemed preordained. Now I know these people lived in a colorful, nuanced, dynamic world. A place where color adorns the walls, art and people. A place where cultures are capable of great civic works, great shows of compassion and empathy. I find it important to not make these people into statistics or caricatures. That’s weird shit the Victorians did that left us with phony horned Viking helmets, Iron Maidens and who knows what else they made up…