It is somewhat disconcerting to find that travel guides to the State of Minnesota list the Spam Museum as one of the best museums in the state. That might sound offensive, since the Twin Cities is considered the cultural epoch of the Midwest.

Jane and I roamed around in the Spam Museum on a hot June afternoon. It is hard to dislike or condemn such a museum, particularly for its ability to poke fun at itself.

But I was disappointed in the museum for not facing up to its most important contribution to society - the way it changed the diets of South Pacific Islanders, and its alleged relationship with cannibalism.

Everybody knows that Hawaiians, Tongans, Samoans, Guamese, Cook Islanders and so on eat more spam per capita than anywhere in the world. We also know about Pacific Islander's dietary problems, which are due to a sudden conversion from traditional fish and foraging cuisine to a processed Western diet. 

The statement was meant as a bit of humorous irony. But, to the chagrin of many, the rumor persists. Cannibalism did exist in the Pacific, but never in Hawaii or other Eastern Pacific Islands. Spam is most likely so desired by Pacific Islanders because of the high cost of fresh mainland meats in such islands. Regardless, many islanders eat it voraciously, and the meat's relationship to these islander's declining health is probably Spam's greatest legacy.

That the Museum avoided this Spam legacy made it feel all the more a cheeky public relations propaganda for Austin's largest employer, Hormel.

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