Collective Memory, Nation-building and Shared Identities
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Transcript of Collective Memory, Nation-building and Shared Identities
Collective Memory, Collective Memory, Nation-building Nation-building
and Shared and Shared IdentitiesIdentities
Building Memory & Building Memory & Shaping National & Shaping National &
International Identities by International Identities by reclaiming “history”reclaiming “history” Notions of shared Notions of shared
history (“facts”) as history (“facts”) as shared identitiesshared identities
Recall Recall film about Head film about Head
TaxTax Shared identities Shared identities
and lineages and lineages (Zerubavel)(Zerubavel)
Other ways of thinking Other ways of thinking about historical about historical
connectionsconnections
Human Human DescenDescen
t t ModelsModels MonogenMonogen
istist PolygeniPolygeni
stst
A Case Study : African A Case Study : African Heritage, Nova Scotia Heritage, Nova Scotia Communities and the Communities and the
Cultural FutureCultural Future
Historical context (recent) Historical context (recent) Destruction of Africville in Destruction of Africville in
the 1970sthe 1970s Video clip from Video clip from Remember Africville– before (settlement) & Remember Africville– before (settlement) &
after (small park with monument) destruction of the after (small park with monument) destruction of the communitycommunity
Government Policy & Public Government Policy & Public AdministrationAdministration
Office of African Nova Office of African Nova ScotianScotian Affairs Affairs
Tangible and Intangible Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage as Sites Cultural Heritage as Sites
of Memoryof Memory Heritage preservation Heritage preservation BEYOND PHYSICAL BEYOND PHYSICAL “things”“things”
Continuing uses & Continuing uses & meanings – ideas for meanings – ideas for contemporary ways of contemporary ways of “performing” culture & “performing” culture & historic practiceshistoric practices
Communicating values & Communicating values & techniques (skills)techniques (skills)
Youth Sailing WorkshopIn connection with
“Amistad” sailing
Example: Re-recreation of Example: Re-recreation of “Amistad” voyage (but in the “Amistad” voyage (but in the
other direction)other direction)
Changes in Grade School Changes in Grade School CurriculumCurriculum
Collective Memory as Collective Memory as Cultural MediationCultural Mediation
NotNot just about rethinking just about rethinking ‘representations’‘representations’
NotNot a chain of information flowing a chain of information flowing unchanged from one point to unchanged from one point to another another production, mediation, receptionproduction, mediation, reception
Tangible & intangible heritage as Tangible & intangible heritage as sites of cultural memorysites of cultural memory
New Perspectives in New Perspectives in Theories of Cultural Theories of Cultural
MediationMediation Core notions: Core notions:
active agency, appropriation (make it active agency, appropriation (make it your own)your own)
lived experience & grounded practice lived experience & grounded practice Networks of collaboration, different Networks of collaboration, different
perspectivesperspectives Material & symbolic dimensions—Material & symbolic dimensions—
cultural heritage implications (material cultural heritage implications (material culture important too)culture important too)
Case Case Study:Study:
Black Loyalist Black Loyalist Heritage Heritage Preservation in Preservation in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia, CanadaCanada
Part 1: Black Loyalist Part 1: Black Loyalist HistoryHistory 1770s– conflict in 1770s– conflict in
British Colonies in British Colonies in the New World-- the New World-- War of War of Independence Independence (American Revolution) (American Revolution)
Loyalists Loyalists (Tories)(Tories) vs. Rebels vs. Rebels (Patriots, (Patriots, Sons of Liberty)Sons of Liberty)
http://museum.gov.ns.ca/http://museum.gov.ns.ca/blackloyalists/blackloyalists/
British PromisesBritish Promises British policy (1775-British policy (1775-
Lord Dunmore’s Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation: freedom Proclamation: freedom for slaves owned by for slaves owned by rebels who fought for rebels who fought for BritishBritish
Philipsburg Philipsburg Proclamation, 1779)Proclamation, 1779) : : encourage slaves owned encourage slaves owned
by rebels to fleeby rebels to flee Why? economic warfare, Why? economic warfare,
service to armed forcesservice to armed forces Promise of freedomPromise of freedom
Roles of Black LoyalistsRoles of Black Loyalists Many military units Many military units
as musicians, guides as musicians, guides Army & navyArmy & navy Black Regiments: The Black Regiments: The
Black Pioneers, the Black Pioneers, the Guides, the Jersey Guides, the Jersey Shore volunteers, the Shore volunteers, the King’s American King’s American Dragoons etc.Dragoons etc.
Certificates of FreedomCertificates of Freedom 1783-Treaty of 1783-Treaty of
ParisParis stipulated stipulated British evacuate British evacuate without “carrying without “carrying away any Negroes or away any Negroes or other Property of the other Property of the American American Inhabitants”Inhabitants”
C. of F: Certified that C. of F: Certified that holder was free at holder was free at time of Treay of Paristime of Treay of Paris
Log of Black Log of Black Loyalists planning to Loyalists planning to leave : leave : Carleton’s Carleton’s Book of NegroesBook of Negroes
Black LoyalistsBlack Loyalists
British left the U.S. British left the U.S. with Loyalists—with Loyalists—about 3,500 came about 3,500 came to Nova Scotia & to Nova Scotia & New BrunswickNew Brunswick
Birchtown, Nova Scotia Birchtown, Nova Scotia 17831783
Probably largest community of free Probably largest community of free North Americans of African ancestry North Americans of African ancestry on continenton continent
Harsh ConditionsHarsh Conditions
Struggles & Struggles & Race RiotRace Riot
late summer and fall late summer and fall arrivalsarrivals
Little experience with Little experience with cold climate (48 BL cold climate (48 BL African born)African born)
RockRocky land, little topy land, little topsoil, soil, dense woodsdense woods
Lack of suppliesLack of supplies Black Loyalist land Black Loyalist land
grants delayedgrants delayed Race riot --1784Race riot --1784
Continued Hardships, Continued Hardships, EmigrationEmigration
Bad weather, crop failures, severe Bad weather, crop failures, severe winterswinters
1791--Sierra Leone Company offered 1791--Sierra Leone Company offered free passage to Africa to 1200 Black free passage to Africa to 1200 Black Loyalists Nova ScotiaLoyalists Nova Scotia
Migration RoutesMigration Routes
Other Important Settlement Other Important Settlement Sites of Nova Scotians of Sites of Nova Scotians of
African HeritageAfrican Heritage
Part 2: Part 2: Birchtown TodayBirchtown Today Harbour and ChurchHarbour and Church
Birchtown todayBirchtown today
Mysterious MoundsMysterious Mounds Material culture & Material culture &
memorymemory Purpose?Purpose? Symbolism ?Symbolism ?
Then (?)Then (?) NowNow
MoundsMounds
Importance of Importance of Archaeological Records of Archaeological Records of African American HistoryAfrican American History
Few written Few written records by records by ancestorsancestors
Few material Few material artefacts (poverty) artefacts (poverty)
Links to lost Links to lost connections to connections to origins (example: origins (example: waistbeads at waistbeads at African Burial African Burial Ground– NYC)Ground– NYC)
Community ActionCommunity Action
1990—Nova Scotia 1990—Nova Scotia province plans to build a province plans to build a landfill site (dump) on site landfill site (dump) on site of the moundsof the mounds
Shelburne County Shelburne County Cultural Awareness Cultural Awareness Society established to Society established to preserve Black Loyalist preserve Black Loyalist Heritage (Now Black Heritage (Now Black Loyalist Heritage Society)Loyalist Heritage Society)
Archaeological Digs Archaeological Digs
To authenticate To authenticate claims for claims for development of Black development of Black Loyalist heritage Loyalist heritage preservation site and preservation site and document historydocument history
DigsDigs
SCCAS (Black Loyalist SCCAS (Black Loyalist Heritage Society) Heritage Society)
InitiativeInitiative
Sign for MonumentSign for Monument
First MonumentFirst Monument
Community Community LeadershipLeadership
Founding member Founding member of SCCASof SCCASElizabeth Elizabeth CromwellCromwell
Other prominent Other prominent community community members who are members who are Black Loyalist Black Loyalist descendents: high descendents: high school principal, school principal, church leaders church leaders etc.etc.
Participation of Nova Scotia Participation of Nova Scotia MuseumMuseum
Museum ExhibitionMuseum Exhibition
ExhibitionExhibition Curated by Curated by
Carmelita Carmelita RobertsonRobertson
NS Museum of NS Museum of Natural Natural HistoryHistory
Travelling Travelling exhibitexhibit
Now in Now in Birchtown Birchtown
MuseumMuseum
material heritage material heritage projects: projects:
CommemoratiCommemorative Sitesve Sites MuseumMuseum Walking Walking
trail & trail & boardwalkboardwalk
OfficesOffices CentreCentre
Other ProjectsOther Projects Heritage Education Heritage Education
Program (curriculum Program (curriculum & extra-curricular)& extra-curricular)
Achievement prizesAchievement prizes Youth skills initiativeYouth skills initiative Community centre Community centre
projectproject Black Loyalist RegistryBlack Loyalist Registry
Forms & brochures at Forms & brochures at meetingmeeting
Research (continuing Research (continuing archaeological digs)archaeological digs)
Connections to Connections to International NetworksInternational Networks
Black cultural centre Black cultural centre (Dartmouth)(Dartmouth)
Wall honouring African-Wall honouring African-descended RCMPdescended RCMP
Meeting with Minister of Meeting with Minister of African Nova Scotian African Nova Scotian
AffairsAffairs
But in 2006- Arson But in 2006- Arson AttacksAttacks
Biography & Collective Biography & Collective Memory: The Charleston Memory: The Charleston
ConnectionConnection NS museum NS museum Researchers discovery:Researchers discovery: Ancestors of one slaves of Ancestors of one slaves of
the ancestors of the other the ancestors of the other in Charleston, S.C.in Charleston, S.C.
Film Film LoyalitiesLoyalities (Canadian Broadcasting (Canadian Broadcasting Corp., 1998) –screening Corp., 1998) –screening today -- about today -- about their trip to Charleston to their trip to Charleston to
visit the plantation where visit the plantation where their ancestors lived their ancestors lived
their experiences of the their experiences of the legacy of slavery legacy of slavery
Concluding Remarks: Concluding Remarks: Memory as MediationMemory as Mediation
biography & collective memory in biography & collective memory in contemporary cultural practicecontemporary cultural practice
Example of actor-network theory of Example of actor-network theory of “mediation practices”“mediation practices” Community leadership BUT alsoCommunity leadership BUT also Multi-faceted, ‘cross-disciplinary ’ networks of Multi-faceted, ‘cross-disciplinary ’ networks of
collaboration: collaboration: different kinds of people with different backgrounds different kinds of people with different backgrounds
training expertise &motivations (architaects, training expertise &motivations (architaects, archaeologists, historians, community organizers, archaeologists, historians, community organizers, filmmakers….)filmmakers….)
Interaction part of meaning-making processInteraction part of meaning-making process
Cultural Preservation as Cultural Preservation as Mediation Mediation
Cultural heritage preservation NOT just about Cultural heritage preservation NOT just about preservation of objects/material remainspreservation of objects/material remains
Complex interplay of material and symbolic-- Complex interplay of material and symbolic-- past, present and future– but material culture past, present and future– but material culture importantimportant
Collective memory not simply the reconstruction Collective memory not simply the reconstruction of something that previously existedof something that previously existed
Preservation efforts vital to Preservation efforts vital to contemporary contemporary cultural practices—cultural practices— New collective New collective understandings of culture --enhance lived understandings of culture --enhance lived experience now & build cultural futureexperience now & build cultural future
Image CreditsImage Credits
Black Loyalist Heritage SocietyBlack Loyalist Heritage Society Nova Scotia MuseumsNova Scotia Museums Some photos shot by MarontateSome photos shot by Marontate