Recently Re-read: Country of My Skull
January 30, 2010
While I was preparing for my specialization exams last summer, I read a ton of books. For the two exams, I had about 100 books to read in a very short period of time. I got good at skimming the material and pulling out relevant quotes, but because of the pressure to read quickly, I lost out on some of the nuances and beauty of the texts. Luckily, I recently had the chance to re-read one of these books and found that without the looming exam, I was able to appreciate the text much more.
In Country of My Skull: Guilt, Sorrow and the Limits of Forgiveness in the New South Africa, journalist Antjie Krog tells the story of the South African truth commission. It is a highly personal reflection on the process of national reconciliation after the fall of apartheid. When I first read it, I was looking for two sorts of information: 1) What were the basic facts of the commission? Who were the commissioners? Who testified? What was the public response? And 2) What were some of the theoretical issues with which the commission wrestled? How did it conceptualize truth? How did the concept of reconciliation change during the process? What did it mean to different sets of people within the country?
But on my second reading, I was able to focus far more on Krog’s personal experience of the commission and her struggle as a white Afrikaner dealing with the conflicting emotions of guilt, shame, pride, love and hope. It is a beautifully written, complex story that blends personal narrative with historical context and social commentary.
As I continue to follow the TRC in Canada, I wonder: How does one tell the story of a truth commission?With all its complexities and contestations, how does one weave together some sort of narrative that can speak to its inherent contradictions? Antjie Krog shows us that a layered text produced through a mixture of prose, poetry and journalism may be the answer.
The Limits of Memory – Conference
January 26, 2010
Canada’s Colonialism – Article at TheMarkNews.com
January 21, 2010
A short piece on Canada’s colonial history, and Prime Minister Harper’s denial of it, is available at The Mark.
Alana Lajoie O’Malley writes:
“At the G20 Summit last September, our prime minister boasted that we “have no history of colonialism.” That the leader of our country can stand in front of dignitaries from around the world and speak these words is a testament to just how far we have to go in really understanding our national history.”
Read the full piece here.
Photo by axiepics available under a Creative Commons License
Happy 2010: Part 2
January 18, 2010
Above is an image from New Year’s Eve Day on Galiano Island off the coast of Vancouver. Despite the grey weather, it was a beautiful day.
The winter holidays are coming to an end and I’m gearing up for another semester. But before officially shifting gears, one last note of new year reflection before the semester moves into full swing: A friend of mine told me that instead of making a new year’s resolution, she decided instead to choose a single word as the year’s theme. I’m doing the same. My word this year is “joy.” It makes me happy just thinking about it. I’m looking forward to a joyful year, and wish you the same.
On the horizon this semester are two great conferences:
1) The Limits of Memory - an interdisciplinary conference organized by the New School for Social Research in New York. This is the third year of the annual conference and I’m fortunate enough to be on the organizing committee this year. March 4 – 6, 2010.
Every act of remembering also implies some form of selective forgetting and a reconstruction of the past, often according to present political or cultural needs. This conference aims to address some of the limits in theories and practices of memory, focusing on how the uses of memory are often intimately tied up with its abuses. We also hope to explore the ways in which the growing field of memory studies can continue to push the boundaries of inquiry and the boundaries between disciplines.
2) Truth, Reconciliation, and the Residential Schools – This conference is organized by Nipissing University, in North Bay, Ontario in the territory of the Nipissing First Nation. March 5 – 7, 2010.
Since the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples expressed the need for sustained testimonials, apologies and compensation in the service of reconciliation, truth and justice, the survivors, leaders and scholars of the residential school system have gathered. Some have gathered to work through the possibilities of truth and reconciliation. Others have gathered to strategize and discuss the potential to realize justice, responsibility and healing. There remains much more to debate. Over one year has passed since Prime Minister Harper’s apology and the initiation of the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). As the TRC resumes full operation, the pressing question lingers: are the goals of justice, truth and reconciliation being served?
Unfortunately, the two conferences are being held at the same time. I’ll be presenting a paper in the latter one, so will have to miss the Limits of Memory Conference.
Happy 2010: Part 1
January 5, 2010
To start off the new year, I thought I’d link to some recent coverage of, or related to, the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission (IRS TRC). I’ve also added new “Resources” pages that I will continue to update as the commission progresses, and add new and relevant articles, books and films as they come out. (Thanks, Viola, for suggesting some of these resources!)
“Addressing the residential schools legacy: Parishes find inspired ways to ‘live out’ church’s apology” by Marites N. Sison, Anglican Journal, – December 8, 2009.
“The future of the residential school commission” by Joe Friesen, Globe and Mail, December 20, 2009.
“At reconciliation commission, key positions remain unfilled” by Bill Curry, Globe and Mail, December 23, 2009.
“Litigation in as recognition, reconciliation out” by Justine Hunter, Globe and Mail, January 5th, 2009.
All the best in 2010.
Naomi
