Mongolian Cultural Ambassador to the United States and my friend Gankhuyag “Ganna” Natsag

In the 1930s, the Communist government in Mongolia banned the tsam, along with other religious displays. It has since been revived by a number of Mongolian artists, particularly Gankhuyag “Ganna” Natsag, a mask maker and visual artist who was born in Ulaanbaatar. For this and a lifetime of promoting, perpetuating, and showcasing Mongolian arts and culture, the government of Mongolia recently named Ganna the Mongolian Cultural Ambassador to the United States.