Koshare Museum & Trading Post — Attraction in La Junta

The dances are offensive, and I cannot quite believe that this place still exists. Came here when I was a child and I can say without a doubt, despite many very nice items in their museum collection, this is not engaging with Native community, and disrespectful to the art and traditions they are imitating. They have repeatedly demonstrated that they think nothing of the opinions of the peoples whose traditions they imitate. When people talk about cultural appropriation, I usually feel it is just nonsense, but the dances performed here are about as good an example of it as you could find today. Go visit an actual Native community! These people do not deserve your money or time if they do not want to improve, and it pains me that many boy scouts think this is engagement with Native history. It is not, and I wish the scout leaders and others here would actually educate their well-meaning scouts.

But the building is very nice and the museum has some great stuff. This place could be much better if they tried to have a more serious dialogue with the tribes they play on stage. As it is, several of those tribes have asked them to stop over the decades, and have been seemingly ignored. Is that a good example of...

This is a museum, show and hostel run by a Boy Scout troop as a stopping point for Boy Scout troops traveling cross country - many to Philmont or Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base.

It is amazing what a troop has built, developed and supported for so many years. I believe they have the most number of eagle scouts in America for a troop, with over 650 eagles. I tip my hat to them for their accomplishments, especially based in a city of only 7,000 people.

There are some who complain bitterly that this group of boys and girls are making big money at the expense of tribal cultures. The troop charges $9.50 to stay overnight, see the show and tour the museum. It is chicken feed. The boys and girls work hard on researching and creating their native attire and doing their various dances. Their actions are done out of respect, wanting to learn, and share what they have learned. I am sorry if some people take offense. I am part Blackfoot and I took no offense. I wish that mainstream America took more interest in our...

The staff at the museum are friendly and courteous. While I believe that the owners and propagators of the museum do not have bad intentions, it is clear that this museum is an appropriation of Native American culture into white society. I learned more about white people who knew Native Americans or had interest in their culture than I did about actual Native Americans. The museum has attempted to not perform dances or ceremonies that are religious in nature out of courtesy, but the sight of many white people who dress and dance like Native Americans shows the true absorption of their culture. It was made apparent that at one time the museum had connections with a local American Indian tribe who helped pass on their traditions, but the museum has no connection presently (the tribe has severed ties because they also find it disrespectful). I personally believe there are better opportunities to learn about the culture of indigenous Americans than at...