Quite true. As I've stated before, there is no historical "truth"; there are
"thruts" belonging to every group, every community, every nation and,
ultimately, to all of us depending on what we identify with.  I guess what
might currently be changing (and that is partly why we're having this
interesting discussion on the nature of historical interpretation in museums)
is precisely that, for once, in an increasingly pluralist and diversified
society, victors might not have a monopoly on "truth" anymore. Thus my
interest, as a historian, as a museologist, and as someone interested in
different views of things, in the presence of ideologically-oriented groups
within museums and in the gradual installment of different perceptions in
public historical products.  In all possible circumstances, it just makes
history richer, doesn't it?

One thing my personal research has taught me is that museums have always been
ideological tools - usually for dominant groups (economic, political, etc.).
It was the case 200 years ago in Great-Britain, in France, then in the US and
certainly in Canada, which is my personal focus. What seems to be different
now, to some extent, is that dominant groups are losing some control over a
means of expression that have traditionnaly allowed them to consolidate and
confirm the view they had of themselves and to "broascast" it within sociey,
therefore validating it in the eyes of others.  These days, museums appear to
be turned against "victors" and serve other interest.  That might explain, in
part, the confusion we're in.

Hervé Gagnon
Director-Curator
Colby-Curtis Museum
Stanstead (Québec)
Canada

Ellen Giusti a écrit:

> The fact that history is written by "insiders" is both the reality and the
> problem. There is no such thing as objective accounts of the past. It is
> not an original idea, but true: history is written by the victors--from our
> present vantage point, that means white, Christian, male. Do American
> schoolchildren (white, black, or purple) learn about women's roles in
> ancient Babylonia? or Pre-conquistador Mayan daily life? Home life in the
> Gambia? What do we know of the man yearly Christian sects that didn't make
> it into the history books? Maybe archaeologists are the only truly
> objective historians, sifting through ancient garbage. What will our
> garbage look like in several millenia (assuming that there will still be
> human archaeologists around to dig it up)? Probably the usual history of
> victors and  vanquished.
>
> Ellen Giusti, Exhibition Evaluator
> American Museum of Natural History
> Exhibition Department
> Central Park West at 79th Street
> New York, NY 10024
>
> 212 769 5646(voice)
> 212 769 5926(fax)
> [log in to unmask](e-mail)