The White Elephant

We're in Southeast Asia again this week, this time for the story of the royal symbol of Thailand.

In Thailand, as well as Siam, Thailand's predecessor, the White Elephant is a symbol of the royal line. All White Elephants belong to the king and are ceremonially presented to him.

White Elephants, also sometimes called Pink Elephants or Auspicious Elephants, are not actually white. They are generally a light reddish-brown, sometimes turning pink when wet. The elephants are not actually albino and the determination of a White Elephant is made by palace experts.

A White Elephant at Naypyidaw's Uppatasanti Pagoda (Wikimedia)

White Elephants are found almost entirely among Indian Elephants and are extremely rare or nonexistent in African Elephants. 

Despite the English use of the phrase White Elephant, there is no evidence to support the idea that the King would give a White Elephant to someone in order to bankrupt them. In fact, all White Elephants belong to the King, so one would never have been given away.

To the people of Thailand, these White Elephants are priceless. A White Elephant even appeared on the flag of Thailand from 1855 to 1916, over 60 years.

The Flag of Thailand, 1855-1916 (Wikimedia)

In Buddhism, the dominant religion in Thailand, the Buddha's mother dreamed of a White Elephant on the night before the Buddha's birth. The White Elehphant is a symbol of wisdom and purity in Buddhism and of prosperity and good fortune throughout Southeast Asia.

The current King of Thailand owns 10 White Elephants, six males and four females. The male and female elephants are kept in separate facilities, since they are not allowed to breed.

There is currently only one confirmed White Elephant living in the wild. Called Sudu Aliya, which means white elephant, she lives in Sri Lanka. She is currently being monitored by the Center for Conservation and Research of Sri Lanka and was last seen in 2012.

I found the website of the Thai Elephant Conservation Center very helpful in writing this article. The Conservation Center cares for all of the royal White Elephants.

The Monuments Men

The recent movie The Monuments Men is based on an epic true story about men and women who saved the soul of Europe.

Being a museum studies graduate student, of course I had to go see the new movie The Monuments Men. The movie is an interesting historical drama, though not an action movie, like the previews would have you think. While the movie is well worth the watch, they did take a number of liberties with the actual story. Here's the story of the true Monuments Men and the many people who supported them.

From the beginning of WWII, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Harvard Group called for the US military to protect and preserve the cultural heritage of Europe. Hitler was systematically looting art from the great museums and collectors of Europe in preparation to stock his own personal museum and the US army destroyed important buildings while invading Europe. However, it wasn't until 1943 that the efforts of these groups finally bore fruit.

The Monuments Men started with a group called whose official name was the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, but was more commonly referred to as the Roberts Commission, after its chairman, Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts. Proposed by Francis Henry Taylor, the director of the Museum of Modern Art, the group was created in 1943 to advise military actions in order to best protect and preserve national treasures during World War II, provided they did not interfere with military operations. They created the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives section, for which 345 men and women volunteered, coming from the United States, Britain, France, Austria, and Belgium.

These men and women were primarily middle-aged; some were even WWI veterans. They were professors, museum curators, archivists, and librarians. Together, they saved an estimated 5 million art pieces and cultural objects.

Some of the Monuments Men at the Altuasee Salt Mine in 1945. (Wikimedia)

These artworks included numerous masters, such as the Ghent Altarpiece and Michaelangelo's Madonna, both featured in the movie.

The Monuments Men recovering the Ghent Altarpiece at Altusee. (Wikimedia)

After the war, a smaller contingent of Monuments Men continued to hunt down stolen art. Many of the members of the MFAA returned or went on to prominent jobs in cultural institutions. They are responsible for the foundation of the New York City Ballet, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Despite their incredible efforts, a number of other artworks remain missing. And, due to Hitler's "Nero Decree," stating that all evidence that could be used in a war crimes trial be destroyed, many may never be recovered.

The story of the Monuments Men was rediscovered in 1995 and in 2009, Robert Edsel wrote his book The Monuments Men and started the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art. He and the foundation aim to acknowledge the work of these incredible men and women, continue their quest to return stolen artworks, and attempt to return the preservation of cultural heritage to the consciousness of the American military.

President George W. Bush presents the 2007 National Humanities Medal for the Monuments Men Foundation for the Preservation of Art to, from left, Robert Edsel and World War II veterans Jim Reeds, Harry Ettlinger, Horace Apgar and Seymore Pomrenze. (Wikimedia)

In 2007, the Monuments Men Foundation was awarded the National Humanities Award by President George W. Bush.  You can go to their website to learn more about the Monuments Men and assist in the effort to recover and repatriate stolen goods.

Share Spotlight: Partners in Conservation

November is Native American Heritage month and the US Fish and Wildlife Service honors the impact of the tribes who work with them.

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This week's share spotlight comes from the US Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Region:
Partners in Conservation--Native American Tribes Contribute Essential Data to Elwha Watershed Restoration

I kind of grew up in the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the arm of the Department of the Interior that runs Wildlife Refuges, the places that are more for the animals than the people, as opposed to the National Parks, which tend to be more for the people than the animals.

This week's share spotlight showcases something that the USF&WS is getting increasingly awesome at: partnering with the community to make a difference. They know that conservation only works when the whole community is behind it, and the best way to get them there is to involve them, let them participate, learn, and see the results of their actions.

In this case, the major partner is a Native American tribe in the Pacific Northwest. Tribe members are essential to recording the data necessary for the USF&WS to monitor changes in the area.

Where have you seen Native Americans (or anyone) making a difference in conservation? Have you been to your local Wildlife Refuge? Odds are good there is one nearby.