USING ORAL HISTORY TO DECOLONIZE MUSEUMS:
A ZINE "FOR THE MASTER'S TOOLS WILL NEVER DISMANTLE THE MASTER'S HOUSE." AUDRE LORDE
CULTURAL HERITAGE SPACES LIKE MUSEUMS CAN SERVE TO CREATE PLACES OF BOTH CULTURAL CONTINUITY AND TRANSFORMATION. WHEN PURPOSEFUL CONNECTIONS ARE CULTIVATED BETWEEN MUSEUMS AND COMMUNITIES, CO-CREATED EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS CAN TRANSFORM A MUSEUM INTO A CULTURAL HUB REFLECTIVE OF ITS COMMUNITY'S VALUES, EXPERIENCES, AND WAYS OF KNOWING. ORAL HISTORY CAN PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN BRIDGING NOT ONLY INSTITUTIONS BUT PEOPLES AND EXPERIENCES. HOWEVER, MANY MUSEUMS ARE ROOTED IN AN OPPRESSIVE, EUROCENTRIC APPROACH THAT MARGINALIZES, ERASES, OR SUPPRESSES THE VOICES OF HISTORICALLY OPPRESSED GROUPS. THIS ZINE OFFERS A METHODOLOGICAL GUIDE ROOTED IN ORAL HISTORY, DECOLONIAL THOUGHT AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
REPRESENTATION IN MUSEUMS NEEDS TO REFLECT THE EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES OF THOSE WHO ENDURED A DEEP CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL ERASURE, THE BRUTAL LEGACY OF SLAVERY,
AND THE REALITY OF THE COLONIAL PROJECT.
1
TO RADICALLY DECOLONIZE MUSEUMS MEANS TO GO BEYOND SIMPLY RAISING AWARENESS OF THE LACK OF ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES IN WHICH HISTORY IS TAUGHT AND REPRESENTED IN MUSEUMS. IT CALLS ON THE NEED TO SOCIALLY AND PERSONALLY INTERROGATE OUR OWN INGRAINED PREJUDICES AND BIASES. FURTHER, RADICAL DECOLONIZATION SEEKS TO RECOGNIZE THE AGE-OLD COLONIALIST STRUCTURES OF POWER, IN WHICH OUR SOCIETY IS GROUNDED, AS UNEQUAL AND INHERENTLY RACIST TO THEN TO CREATE A PEDAGOGICAL FRAMEWORK THAT CENTERS HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED PERSPECTIVES.
THIS WORK IS A PART OF MY PERSONAL ARCHIVAL RECORDS. EVEN THOUGH IT IS MEANT TO HELP OTHERS, I INTENTIONALLY CENTER MY PERSONAL IDENTITY THROUGH PUERTO RICAN AND LATINX MOTIFS AND SYMBOLS.
Oral history captures the "fine distinctions and intricacies of historical change and transformation" 2 in an effort to mutually construct knowledge for generations to come.
Decolonial studies is a political and practical process that calls for the “social liberation from all power organized as inequality, discrimination, exploitation, and domination." 3
Critical Race Theory critiques past and current scholarship as part of unequal and racist hierarchies that require change. It seeks to combine these critiques for "progressive 4 political struggles for racial justice."
A decolonial & critical race approach to oral history provides a critique of the production and reproduction of ideologies that aided the expansion of the colonial project. These erase, invisibilize, and oppress the traditions, experiences, and knowledge of indigenous communities, women and communities of color. 5
Much like oral history, Critical race theory (CRT) uses counter-storytelling as a “method of telling the stories of those people whose experiences are not often told." 6 CRT pushes the role of storytelling forward by employing it as a means to “contradict racist characterizations of social life and expose race neutral discourse, revealing how white privilege operates to reinforce and support unequal racial relations in society.” 7 These challenge dominant social discourses and open up the possibility of multiple ways of understanding and knowing by centering marginalized perspectives.8 in order to translate this orientation into practice, this zine offers a step-by-step guide for emerging cultural heritage professionals and researchers who are willing & able to step into their power for justice.
Step-by-step Methodological Guide: 1. IDENTIFYING SPACE & PLACE 2. CONTEXTUAL HISTORICAL RESEARCH 3. ESTABLISHING CRITICAL RAPPORT 4. ELICITING NARRATIVES 5. CO-CREATING OUTPUT
STEP 1: SPACE & PLACE "NOTHING ABOUT US, WITHOUT US... "LEARNING HOW TO TAKE DIRECTION, AS TO WHAT IS IT THAT THOSE WE ARE IN SOLIDARITY WITH WISH US TO DO, IS A HUGE ASPECT OF POWER BETWEEN THE OPPRESSED AND THE OPPRESSOR." -Gia del Pino | Madres Sin Fronteras Commmunity Organizer To identify space & place ask yourself the following questions: 1. Whose land are you on? 2. How are you respecting the ancestors that came before you? 3. Why are you interested in creating this specific exhibition? a. Who is it for? b. Are those folx leading this project? c. Are those folx included in the design, creation, implementation, and all other aspects of this exhibition? 4. Who are you representing? 5. What do people in that community want? a. How are you centering those needs? b. Who is benefitting? c. Who is making the decisions? 6. How are you giving directly to the communities you are portraying? a. How is this exhibition uplifting & empowering those communities?
STEP 2: RESEARCH "MY GRANDMOTHER HAS THIS PAN NEXT TO THE BED. THEY SAY IT'S HER [LATE] HUSBAND'S POT. SHE COOKS AND PUTS FOOD IN IT. SHE ADDS [FOOD], THEN PUTS WATER AND CANE [BRANDY] AND WINE. THEN SHE KNEELS DOWN... AND TALKS TO HER HUSBAND: "THIS IS FOR YOU." AND THEN SHE EATS." -Maria Amélia| Voices of Guinea-Bissau Project Narrator Once you have identified your space and place, to begin your research ask yourself the following questions: 1. What is the documented history of the space, place, and community? a. How does the community portray itself? b. How is the community portrayed by outsiders? i. How does the media portray this community? ii. How does academia portray this community? 2. What is the undocumented history of the space, place, and community? a. Who are the cultural leaders? b. Who are the activists? c. Who are the holders of cultural and historical knowledge? d. What are their needs and wants? e. What role can you play in this? i. Are you wanted in that space conducting this project? 3. What are your intentions? a. Is your end goal extraction or co-creation? a. How is this exhibition uplifting & empowering those communities?
STEP 3: RAPPORT TRUST “IS DYNAMIC, IT IS FRAGILE, AND IT IS VULNERABLE; IT IS PRAISED WHERE IT IS EVIDENT AND ACKNOWLEDGED IN EVERY PROFESSION. TRUST IS DIFFICULT TO DEFINE AND QUANTIFY; EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THAN TO MEASURE, EASIER TO LOSE THAN TO EARN, BUT AN ESSENTIAL AND CRITICAL COMPONENT IN THE RELATIONSHIP ART MUSEUMS HAVE WITH THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE." -fari nzinga
1. During initial research, were folx open to sharing their stories? a. Are these stories and histories the community wants told? b. Or are these accounts a part of an indigenous knowledge not meant for the public? 2. Did any community leaders or activists see a need for the research? 3. Has anyone shown an invested interest in your project? a. Have you created strong connections with community leaders, activists, cultural historians, organizers and other folx of all ages? b. Have they welcomed you into their network and guided you to potential narrators? 4. Have you created a web of people who see the importance in your project and who are ready to take on leadership should they desire it? a. Will you step back and listen? 5. What are your intentions? a. Is your end goal extraction or co-creation? 6. How is this exhibition uplifting & empowering those communities?
STEP 4: NARRATIVE COUNTER-STORYTELLING IS A“TOOL FOR EXPOSING, ANALYZING, AND CHALLENGING THE MAJORITARIAN STORIES OF RACIAL PRIVILEGE, CAN SHATTER COMPLACENCY, CHALLENGE THE DOMINANT DISCOURSE ON RACE, AND FURTHER THE STRUGGLE FOR RACIAL REFORM.” -Danial Solórzano & Tara Yosso
1. What are you showing? a. Art b. History c. Material Culture d. Immaterial Culture e. Other 2. What questions can you ask that will prompt the narrator to share more about their lived experiences related to the goals of your project? 3. Are you willing to be flexible and adapt the project according to the themes and issues brought up in the interview? 4. What are your intentions? a. Is your end goal extraction or co-creation? 5. How is this exhibition uplifting & empowering those communities?
STEP 5: OUTPUT “OPPRESSED GROUPS HAVE KNOWN INSTINCTIVELY THAT STORIES ARE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL TO THEIR OWN SURVIVAL AND LIBERATION.� -Richard Delgado 1. Now that you have recorded the stories with the consent of folx, how are you going to work with your narrators to present them in a way that does justice to them? 2. How is your project different from what a museum/researcher who does not employ co-creation look like? 3. How is your project the same from what a museum/researcher who does employ co-creation look like? 4. How are you going to present these oral histories, moving past simply pasting quotes on walls? 5. How do your interviewees want to be represented? a. If they feel comfortable, consider asking them to write their own biographies and lables. b. Always check in to make sure you are not overloading or overstepping your boundaries. 6. Where will this project be showcased? Will it be in an accessible location that the entire community can get to? 7. What are your intentions? a. Is your end-goal extraction or co-creation? 8. How id your exhibtion uplifting and empowering those communities?
RECAP STEP 1 Recognizing the indigenous land you are on is critical to acknowledging the inherent right to land that First Peoples actually hold. Next, ask yourself 'why?' Is it because you have identified a gap in how the history and culture of how this community is portrayed? Before you begin, does said community agree that is what is missing/that is the most pressing issue that should be addressed? Take a moment to deeply reflect on who this exhibition is for, what is portrayed, how it is going to be protrayed and for what end. The goal must ultimately be to cocreate (centering the communities voices in the goals, design, implementation of the exhibition). This is defined by creating meaningful and long-lasting relationships with each narrator.
STEP 2 Conducting background research on what has already been documented can lead one to both institutional archives and personal archives. Together these two can provide a starting point to understand the history of this community, how it has been represented, and how they would like to be represented moving forward. This step should not be taken for granted - without knowing the history it is impossible to understand the present circumstances, and in turn do justice to a portrayal of such stories and histories. Additionally, great care must be taken to not extract, that is the taking of stories and creating exhibitions without the explicit consent and purposeful collaboration from those who kindly shared them.
STEP 3 If you answered 'no' to the questions in Step 3 you want to revist and deeply reflect on Step 1 & Step 2. If you said 'yes' the next steps are to build rapport with folx in the community. This involves creating long-lasting connections that go beyond the researcher/participant binary. You are not the expert - the people who have lived these experiences every day whether personally or through passsed down oral histories are. When creating projects grounded in co-creation, even after the work is done, the relationships are not. Are you willing to commit the time and effort to sustain them? Are you willing to be vulnerable to create a truly reciprocal partnership? We all have space to learn.
STEP 4 The stories that arise are not yours. They are part of a people's history that belongs to the people and most be made accessible to all. Oral history gives people the platform to speak on their own terms and remain in control of their own narrratives. These stories narrate the realities that are often not depicted in history books or museums. When conducting interviews, questions are merely guides. Let the narrator share their story and what they consider relevant to your project. The story may take a different turn, adjust.
STEP 5 Creating an exhibition that is co-creative ultimately aims to create a space that is reflective of the needs of communities surrounding any museum. Oral history can serve as a powerful tool to invite people outside the museum to speak their truth and lived experiences. In centering the voices and perspectives of others, particularly those who have been historically marginalized, we invite truth-telling and healing.
CONCLUSION “ALTHOUGH THE ‘MASTER’S TOOLS’ MAY NEVER ‘DISMANTLE THE MASTER’S HOUSE’, IT IS ONLY BY HONESTLY WORKING THROUGH THE PAST… THAT ONE CAN BEGIN TO CREATE THE NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR 9 HEALING.”
Museums were created and inherently complicit in the production and reproduction of ideologies that aided the expansion of European empires. In turn, the objects and people that were collected during this era reflect a particular historical perspective. These object-centered histories of Europe have purposefully marginalized narratives that center victorious stories and “de-historicised ethnographic descriptions." 10 European ideology dictated the right to scientifically classify and collect parts of the world, as this was part of a “nascent imperialism, which was often justified by ethnocentric claims of superiority." 11 To understand the present, there must be a serious effort to understand the past from the people's perspective. There is still an abundance of work remaining, but this zine aims to push conversations related to decolonial praxis and representation forward by providing a brief methodological perspective in the pursuit of a just and equal approach to cultural heritage spaces. To see real life examples and d fuller exposition of this please see the thesis from which this zine is based, Challenging Persisitng Narratives: The Role of Oral History in Decolonizing Museums.
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Dixon, Ann Carol 2016 The ‘othering’ of Africa and its Diasporas in Western Museum Practices. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Sheffield. Giblin, John, Imma Ramos, and Nikki Grout 2019 Dismantling the Master’s House. Third Text 33(4-5):471-486. 2. Adams, James H., and Natalie G. Adams 2014 "Some of Us Got Heard More than Others": Studying Brown through Oral History and Critical Race Theory. Counterpoints 449:189-202. 3. Aldama, Arturo J.,, Quiñonez,Naomi Helena.,2002 Decolonial Voices : Chicana and Chicano Cultural Studies in the 21st Century. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 4. AnonymousCritical Race Theory. Electronic document, https://cyber.harvard.edu/bridge/CriticalTheory/critical4.htm, accessed April 12, 2020. 5. Shell-Weiss, Melanie 2019 The Power of Narrative: A Practical Guide to Creating Decolonial, Community-Based Projects. 6. Solórzano, Daniel G., and Tara J. Yosso 2002 Critical Race Methodology: Counter-Storytelling as an Analytical Framework for Education Research. Qualitative Inquiry 8(1):23-44. 7.& 8. Manglitz, Elaine, C. Guy Talmadge, and Lisa R. Merriweather Hunn July 4, 2016 Using Counter Narratives to Construct a Dialogue on Race, Positionality, and Authority: A Research Tool. 9. & 10. Giblin, John, Imma Ramos, and Nikki Grout 2019 Dismantling the Master’s House. Third Text 33(4-5):471-486. 11. Herle, Anita 2016 Anthropology Museums and Museum Anthropology. Electronic document, https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/anthropology-museums-andmuseum-anthropology, accessed March 23, 2020.
Please do not disseminate without permission Elaborated from the Senior Honors Thesis: Persisting Narratives: The Role of Oral History In Decolonizing Museums (Elisabeth Rios-Brooks 2020) Thank you so much for taking the time to read this zine! Questions? Suggestions? Please write Elisabeth-rios@outlook.com
Thank you to Dr. Rosana Resende, Dr. Porchia Moore, and Grace Chun for helping me with each detail of this zine and thesis - whether it was content, spelling or design. Thank you to my mother Nancy Rios-Brooks for never letting me forget the power of my Puerto Rican (TaĂno) heritage. Š 2020 ELISABETH RIOS-BROOKS