In my Global Engagement Senior Capstone class, we were tasked with submitting a meaningful photo from our global engagement journey so far, along with a description. Following this, the class was presented with each person’s image without a description and asked to reflect on what they thought it might mean in the absence of context. After we submitted our best guesses, we were then provided with the context.
This was the image that stood out to me the most:
At first glance, I could tell this was an agricultural practice of some sort. I assumed it was something someone had seen abroad. However, the context reveals a much deeper meaning behind this practice. It’s so fascinating to learn about how Chinampero farming, captured in the picture, was at risk of being erased during colonization. This picture offers a doorway, or a glimpse into precolonial Mexico. So much of precolonial history was erased or distorted, so it’s amazing to have this window into the past. It also captures the present and what people are doing to make sense of this past. For example, in this case, the group is teaching their farming practices to others, ensuring that the traditions do not get lost and giving others the chance to appreciate this culture.
I don’t know too much about agriculture, so I didn’t think too much about the picture when I first saw it. Still, now that I know more about the context, I wonder how many other seemingly “mundane” things I gloss over that could also offer more insight into precolonial Ghana or a precolonial world.
This experience stood out to me because it was an image I would have readily written off as unrelated to my own interests. However, in context, it turned out to be right at the heart of what I am most passionate about. This experience reminds me not to limit my curiosity. It reminds me always to keep an open mind, and you never know where this may lead you.
