Truth, the Archives, and the Archivist

Dr. Shelley Sweeney,University of Manitoba

Archives & Special Collections,

August 21, 2015

Definition of Truth

• Oxford English Dictionary: “conformity with fact; agreement with reality; accuracy, correctness, verity; that which is true, real, or

actual“ • Definitions based on religious beliefs• Definitions based on what is said i.e. “A true statement or proposition”

? Truth mean

• Difficult to get any agreement as to what truth means

• Many theories, little agreement• According to 2009 survey of

professional philosophers & others,~45% leaned towards correspondence theories– "The PhilPapers Surveys - Preliminary Survey results".

The PhilPapers Surveys. Philpapers.org. Retrieved 2015-08-12.

Correspondence Theories

• Truth is how closely it relates to “things” or external reality

• This is dependent upon words to represent those realities

• This is problematic as languages do not translate exactly

• Interpersonal power struggles, community interactions, personal bias also can come into play

Postmodernist View

• Truth is socially constructed• People have a unique understanding

of truth based on their world views, upbringing, culture, etc.

• Everyone and no one has the truth• Each person has their own truth, their

own interpretation & perspective• Link of truth to power

Truth & Archives

• Some sort of truth may be contained in the records held by archives

• How do those records get there and what happens to them after they arrive?

• What is the responsibility of the archivists in those archives to acquire these records and make them available?

Social Responsibility

• Many authors have begun to explore the social responsibility of archivists

• Verne Harris – South Africa• Rand Jimerson – United States• Others, the responsibility to preserve

records of Truth & Reconciliation Commissions

• Trudy Huskamp Peterson – United States and internationally

Relationship Truth & Archives of Truth Commissions?

• ? Relationship between truth and truth & reconciliation commissions and the world in general

• What are our responsibilities as archivists who are part of society in solidarity with others?

• Michelle Caswell calls for pluralistic understanding

Pluralism

• Pluralism: “a situation in which people of different social classes, religions, races, etc., are together in a society but continue to have their different traditions and interests” (Merriam Webster)

• Caswell promotes pluralism in archival practice

• Includes energetic engagement, understanding, strengthened commitment

Plurality? Universality?

• Nathan, Shaffer & Castor criticize this view

• Caswell is promoting universality• Difference is part of the whole, which

when united “produces a cohesive reality”

• Nathan, Shaffer & Castor feel there is no cohesive reality; different people have different perspectives and can experience entirely distinct phenomena

Truth Commission Archives

• Nathan, Shaffer & Castor suggest that “predominant Western European archival practices are aligned with dominant power structures and negate alternative socio-political narratives”

• Archivists are part of the legacy of colonizing initiatives

• Archivists must address structural injustices

Larger Picture

• “The Concept of Truth” by Richard Campbell

• Truth is often linked to speaking• Speakers can err unless they are

acting out of a genuine understanding both of themselves and the phenomenon they are speaking about

• Campbell advocates truth in actions

Truth in actions

• The domain of actions might be the primary locus of truth

• actions are ascribed to all living things

• Those actions can be true• Truth = faithfulness in action• Different actions can be faithful in

different circumstances

Be faithful/truthful

• In order to be faithful/truthful:• 1) actions must be genuine,

consistent commitment by the [archivist], fitting to the circumstance

• 2) you must have insight & discernment into the character of the situation & into needs & desires of the other

• 3) respect the integrity of the other

Campbell Concept of Truth

• “Resolute commitment to truth in the public domain is one of our protections against disillusion, corruption and injustice”

Archivists need to go further

• I don’t believe that we can ever put ourselves completely into the place of the “other”

• If we desire to act socially we need the active participation of the other if that is possible

• Truth commissions can never reveal the truth strictly from oppressors’ points of view

Web of Influence

• As archivists we need to rely on members of particular communities to participate

• We provide the infrastructure• We provide archival knowledge• They provide the knowledge of

community• They can acquire records• Know how to describe, make available to

others in community

Members of African American

Community

Members of LGBTTIQ

Community Members of

Disabled

Community

Members of

Ethnic

Communities

Other

communities

The Archivist

Public Public Public

Public Public Public

Public

Members of

Minority

Communities

Other

communities

All in this Together

• Archivists cannot act alone• We act from our places in institutions

with all their limitations• In our actions we will be true• We must work together to preserve a

full picture of society with members of society

• Hard work to coordinate communities

Truth & Reconciliation Communities?

• Truth & Reconciliation Commission records must have participation of injured community to achieve truth

• But for truth & reconciliation we need active participation of everyone

• Everyone must work together

• Michelle Caswell, “On Archival Pluralism: What Religious Pluralism (and Its Critics) Can Teach Us about Archives,” Archival Science (2013)

• Trudy Huskamp Peterson, Final Acts: A Guide to Preserving the Records of Truth Commissions (2005)• Randall C. Jimerson, Archives Power:

Memory, Accountability, and Social Justice (c. 2009)

• Lisa P. Nathan, Elizabeth M. Shaffer, Maggie Castor, “Stewarding Collections of Trauma: Plurality, Responsibility, and Questions of Action,“ Archivaria (forthcoming) And