Through the Eyes of the Eagle is a national traveling exhibition currently on view at the museum that promotes healthy eating and exercise for children. Organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Diabetes Translation, Native Diabetes Wellness Program, and Global Health Odyssey Museum, the exhibit is designed to raise awareness of Type 2 diabetes using the traditional story-telling method common in Native American and Alaskan Native cultures. The exhibition is based on the four-book series written by Georgia Perez. It features human and animal characters to tell the stories.
One of the four books depicted in the exhibition is called Knees Lifted High. In the book, one of the main animal characters Mr. Eagle shares the knowledge that inadequate physical activity contributes to development of Type 2 diabetes. Mr. Eagle encourages children to find ways of being active just as their ancestors did. He elicits ideas from children on ways to get their bodies up and moving.
The Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, in collaboration with the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Health Department, recently hosted over 40 students from the Ahfachkee School with a tour of the exhibition and engaged them in a dancing exercise activity. Students also received nutrition information from health department representatives.
Because many children and families visit the Museum, it is especially fitting to have such a great exhibit featuring children as a main feature in the artwork.
