Interpretive Philosophy, Scope and Themes
The Museum of the Great Plains believes knowledge of our past is powerful and transforming, prompting insight and discovery into who we are individually, as human beings and collectively as diverse cultures living together in this world. The more we know about the past, the more our purpose and direction become clear. Honest exploration of the past takes courage. Retelling the past also takes courage, yet the Museum of the Great Plains believes that only by looking at and presenting an honest, comprehensive view of the past can we ever hope to create a better future.
The Museum's educational goals are to:
- Cultivate an appreciation for history in general as well as the particular history of the Great Plains region,
- Encourage meaningful inquiry and investigation of history,
- Reveal personal connections with broader histories that include community, society, country, and world,
- Promote a new awareness and understanding of current day events and our place and relevance and
- Educate visitors about diverse perspectives on the history of the Great Plains.
The Museum believes that successful educational programs are experiential in nature, innovative in their presentation, relevant to people's lives, reflective of multicultural perspectives and respectful of different learning styles and abilities.
The chronological scope of the Museum's interpretation is broad, covering a time period that begins with the arrival of the first humans on the Great Plains region at approximately 11,500 BCE. and carries the story up to the present day.
Themes include:Prehistory on the Plains, Understanding the Land, Hunters and Horsemen, Traders and Trappers, Builders (settlement on the Great Plains), Plains Warriors, and Farmers and Ranchers.
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