Lyle brought out some strong points to support his conclusion that no one owns history. I agree. Something else comes to mind that was touched on by Fred Fausz in a recent article about Jamestown (see History News Network http://hnn.us/articles/38375.html ) He wrote, "Historians used to be taught to evaluate evidence, to question everything, but that is rarely the case today..."
What Dr. Fausz didn't say, is that no one historian is able to evaluate ALL of the evidence, which should keep intelligent historians humble. The idea that anyone's research, family history or experience can stand alone --even with peer approval-- doesn't make the grade.
Joanne
"Lyle E. Browning" <[log in to unmask]> wrote: On May 18, 2007, at 12:47 PM, Anita Wills wrote:
> (snip).... I don't believe anyone would try to step in the shoes of
> Jewish people, and try to explain away the holocaust.
> Yet, it seems to be acceptable to do exactly that when it comes to
> Natives and blacks in America.
I don't think that is the case. Anyone with a hint of intelligence
will not be denying what happened. We argue about issues within both,
but not the bigger picture of either. The lack of a substantive body
of historical material written by either group kind of limits things
to later materials in the WPA format with the problems previously
discussed. Sure, there are misguided souls who will argue in the face
of overwhelming evidence that the holocaust never happened, that
Native American culture didn't take a massive hit and/or didn't bring
it on themselves, and that African-Americans were a happy lot working
on the plantations with their basic needs provided. But, you have to
compare their numbers now to what they were 50 years ago to see how
perceptions change due to increasing amounts of scholarship nuking
the old stereotypical arguments. One must also keep up one's guard in
any event lest it be forgotten and repeated.
>
> The only people who can describe what happened and its' impact are
> the ones who were affected by the events.
Now that is just so wrong. No-one owns history. The folks who went
through the holocaust are in general in their 80's and within
probably 20 years all will be gone. It is probably correct to say
that they have a definite stake in their history due to their
immediacy. After they're gone, holocaust publications will
necessarily be written by folks who weren't directly affected.
Sometimes distance provides objectivity.
But, there are no African-American former slaves living and no Native
Americans living who were transported. The numbers of Native
Americans, like the holocaust survivors, who went through enforced
acculturation a la Carlisle, are also getting up in years if not all
already gone.
Even those folks who endured the idiocy that was Jim Crow are getting
long in the tooth and will not so much longer be amongst us.
After that, scholars and researchers will beaver away and produce
their works, and that work will be based upon their interests and
what the historical record has for them to interpret.
Ned Heite and I were bemoaning the fact that most archaeologists come
from an urban or suburban background and are out there interpreting
rural farms without any direct experience with and/or knowledge of
them. While not at the same level as folks finding a collection of
milk bottles and interpreting it as a cow's nest, the lack of
experience inevitably means something will be lost because it is not
perceived as meaningful. On the other hand, due to their diverse
backgrounds and interests, people will look at farms from economic
viewpoints and from other viewpoints that provide insight beyond the
straight experiential views.
From a personal perspective, I was an (American) site supervisor on
a Viking (Scandanavian) site off the north coast of (Gaelic/British)
Scotland. After generations of European folks digging Viking sites,
it was my meagre contribution to tease out the chronological sequence
of building types for the first time. Contributions to history are
not the sole province of those who lived it.
Lyle Browning, RPA
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