When you first enter the Heard Museum through the main gate, the first things you may notice are the architectural features of the Museum. To me the architecture appeared to be Italianate, but later on the tour it turned out to be Spanish in style. However, both Spanish style and Italianate architecture are almost the same thing, in fact Spanish style architecture is derived from the Italianate style which was brought to Spain by the Romans. Moving away from purely architectural features, one can also notice that within the landscape of the front lawn there is a path that runs in the shape of a vortex. The center of that vortex where everything comes together rests in a pit, almost as if the spiral shape were running downhill towards the center. This shape, as referenced in James Luna's presentation, is a culturally significant symbol for many Native American peoples. As the path from the main gate leads the visitor to the front of the building, a contemporary-style wall adorns the right side of the path and displays several sculptures and informational plaques that reference the efforts of Native Americans during times of war throughout the history of the United States. As the path continues to lead to the entrance to the galleries, covered paths lead visitors past the sculpture gardens and courtyard areas. As we began our tour of the museum, it was easy to notice that all of the objects on display were placed behind thick glass cases. Many plaques inside the display case provide the visitor with information on the specific case being examined. In most cases the plaques did not so much provide an elaboration of the pieces, but rather broaden the historical context of the pieces. Also, the license plates shed light on a lot… half the paper… people bought things too. One guy had bought a $750 turquoise and silver Zuni necklace. A rich guy could do some serious damage in that gift shop, that's for sure. If I were to ask one question that involves the context of this lesson, it should be this. How can these “primitive” arts be worth thousands of dollars, if primitive art is considered inferior to Western art? It's a real puzzle, but the answer is something I still can't figure out. If I had to speculate on what the answer is, I would say that perhaps the so-called “primitive” arts are finally gaining ground on the works of famous Western artists. Although the “primitive” arts have had many years of disadvantage, it may be possible that they will finally be realized for what they really are and can be compared fairly to works of famous Western art..