[Bcma-l] War Museum
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Fri, 31 Aug 2007 14:29:14 -0700
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------_=_NextPart_001_01C7EC15.FA3F641F
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
I agree with Larry. Museums need to pay more serious attention to
the differences between "history" and "heritage." These concepts are
crucial to understand and to distinguish in our field.
=20
See David Lowenthal, Possessed by the Past: The Heritage Crusade and
the Spoils of History (1996) and other of his related works.
=20
Paul Thistle
________________________________
From: bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca
[mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca]=20
Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 4:38 PM
To: bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca
Subject: [Bcma-l] War Museum
I believe that BC Museums and CMA should lend what little weight they
have in support of the War Museums independent ability to present
history.
The idea of political and single interest groups lobbying in such a case
is reprehensible, and I believe we should make our views known.
In a land where people died over the issue of free speech, where is it,
and where is the free [and independent prerogative] in doing our job
objectively?
Our museum was subjected to such pressure and caved in due to an
in-camera meeting by our city council, which went on to dictate as to
what we could or could not exhibit. No members of the public or
delegations were allowed to debate such an important issue.
To our shame, we accepted their ultimatum in, but it still does not
destroy the principle and concept of museum independence,.
Our alternative would have been to close the museum.
This is an important issue and I am surprised that I have not heard any
pronouncements about this by our museum organizations.
Are we too busy planning conferences and workshops and patting ourselves
on the back to pay attention to such an important issue?
Larry A. Ewashen, Curator & General Manager
The Doukhobor Discovery Centre
112 Heritage Way, Castlegar V1N 4M5
1-250-365-5327
www.Doukhobor-Museum.org
------_=_NextPart_001_01C7EC15.FA3F641F
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dus-ascii">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2900.3157" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D907562021-31082007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> I agree with Larry. Museums need to =
pay more=20
serious attention to the differences between "history" and =
"heritage." =20
These concepts are crucial to understand and to distinguish in our=20
field.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D907562021-31082007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D907562021-31082007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2> See David Lowenthal, Possessed by the Past: =
The=20
Heritage Crusade and the Spoils of History (1996) and other of his =
related=20
works.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D907562021-31082007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft><SPAN class=3D907562021-31082007><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>Paul Thistle</FONT></SPAN></DIV><BR>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr align=3Dleft>
<HR tabIndex=3D-1>
<FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><B>From:</B> bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca =
[mailto:bcma-l-admin@museumsassn.bc.ca] <BR><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, =
August 30,=20
2007 4:38 PM<BR><B>To:</B> bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca<BR><B>Subject:</B> =
[Bcma-l]=20
War Museum<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>I believe that =
BC Museums=20
and CMA should lend what little weight they have in support of the War =
Museums=20
independent ability to present history.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>The idea of =
political and=20
single interest groups lobbying in such a case is reprehensible, and I =
believe=20
we should make our views known.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>In a land where =
people died=20
over the issue of free speech, where is it, and where is the free [and=20
independent prerogative] in doing our job objectively?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Our museum was =
subjected to=20
such pressure and caved in due to an in-camera meeting by our city =
council,=20
which went on to dictate as to what we could or could not exhibit. No =
members of=20
the public or delegations were allowed to debate such an important=20
issue.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>To our shame,=20
we accepted their ultimatum in, but it still does not destroy =
the=20
principle and concept of museum independence,.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" =
color=3D#008000>Our alternative would=20
have been to close the museum.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>This is an =
important issue=20
and I am surprised that I have not heard any pronouncements about this =
by our=20
museum organizations.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Are we too busy =
planning=20
conferences and workshops and patting ourselves on the back to pay =
attention to=20
such an important issue?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Franklin Gothic Demi" color=3D#008000>Larry A. =
Ewashen, Curator=20
& General Manager<BR>The Doukhobor Discovery Centre<BR>112 Heritage =
Way,=20
Castlegar V1N 4M5<BR>1-250-365-5327<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.Doukhobor-Museum.org">www.Doukhobor-Museum.org</A><BR>=
</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------_=_NextPart_001_01C7EC15.FA3F641F--