Culture and history came alive Friday afternoon at the unveiling of the Anthropology Museum’s new exhibit “Islam in Southeast Asia: Common Themes, Diverse Expressions.”

The new exhibit, located in the Stevens Building, has been in the works for more than a year and includes a diverse collection of objects ranging from an old manuscript fragment of the Quran to traditional hats worn by Islamic men in the Philippines.

Preparing for the exhibit

The exhibit is meant to set the stage for the discussion of Islam in Southeast Asia, said Ann Wright-Parsons, director of the NIU Anthropology Museum.

“It’s been several years in the thinking and probably a year in the planning and grant writing,” Wright-Parsons said.

The process began in 2004 when guest curator Nagasura Madale was flown in from the Philippines to NIU as a scholar and guest lecturer.

“Last year I had a chance to discuss with [Ann Wright-Parsons] the possibility of putting up an anthropology exhibit [on Islam in Southeast Asia],” Madale said.

In total, the exhibit cost about $15,000, Wright-Parsons said. Much of the money came from a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council but funding also came from the Center for Southeast Asian Studies as well as the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, she said. The money donated from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences specifically went toward the addition of partitioning walls and décor to the exhibit.

Setting the mood

“The thing that makes this different is that we finally got some panels put up that really make things look more professional,” Wright-Parsons said. “We did major painting. We hired a designer to help give us an idea about what colors to use. Thanks to lots of students we were able to get all the painting done.”

While the exhibit’s new décor highlights the artifacts on display, the Anthropology Museum stepped it up a notch by hiring a traditional Filipino dance and martial arts troupe to perform before the exhibit’s opening.

The troupe, Kinding Sindaw, came in from New York just for the exhibit’s opening. Consisting of dancers and musicians, Kinding Sindaw performed several traditional dances and songs of the Moro people from the Philippines.

Performing the dancing was Potri Ranka Manis, founder and artistic director of the Kinding Sindaw troupe. As daughter of the Sultan of Maranao and true modern princess, Manis is a master of dance as well as an acclaimed poet and playwright.

“It has been a dream of [Dr. Madale’s] to bring [Kinding Sindaw] here for the exhibition,” said Potri Ranka Manis, artistic director of Kinding Sindaw. “Being a Moro, I feel an obligation [to tell our story]. Our history books do not talk much about us. At the same time in the media we are portrayed badly so for telling the truth. Performing is the best way of informing people.”

The troupe’s main objective is to preserve and present the pre-colonial histories of the Philippines as well as to remind people of still living traditions.

“One of the things that we try to do as an organization is bring to life the history and make it clear that these are still living traditions,” said Kinding Sindaw member Lisa Parker.

“Islam in Southeast Asia: Common Themes, Diverse Expressions” is on exhibit at the Anthropology Museum in the Stevens building. The Museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information on Kinding Sindaw can be found on their Web site at kindingsindaw.org.