Historical song and dance?

What is truth? As public historians our job is a big one, and kind of a scary one. We are the ones who are actually getting it out there, whatever the historical truth may be. If we can decide on what it is. If such a thing even exists (the post-modernists among us would argue that it doesn’t). And the really big challenge is getting it out there in a way that people will actually digest, so that they will go away with something. How to distil whatever message, or truth, we have deemed important into a soundbyte that people will actually take with them? Is that even possible, or do we then just end up with parody?


Growing up in Winnipeg, one of my favourite summer events has always been Folklorama. For those of you unlucky enough never to have experienced this fine institution, it’s a two week festival where different cultural and ethnic groups in the city put on “pavilions” where they show off their culture and history through food, song and dance, displays of handicrafts and historical and cultural exhibits. Each community puts on their own pavilions, so they are all a little different in approach. But let me paint you a general picture: at the Brazilian pavilion, you drink Brahma and watch capoeira. At the Caribbean pavilion, you listen to the steel drum orchestra and drink rum punch. You drink Guinness and watch the Michael Flatley wannabes at the Irish pavilion. (You may be sensing a theme).


So what does all of this have to do with historical truth? I love Folklorama. But what I find so fascinating about it is the way in which different cultural communities in the city choose to present themselves. They all embrace the stereotypes, and in doing so, perpetuate them. But if you are hitting up two or three pavilions a night, can your brain really take in any more information? And if you are a tourist breezing through a museum or historic site with your three kids in tow are you really looking for a serious, thoughtful analysis or do you just want to be entertained?


As a historic interpreter I have certainly met many people who fall into both categories. We need to be able to identify the needs of the public and accept that some of them only want the Cole’s notes version of history. But I don’t think it’s about dumbing history down, or about pandering to the stereotypes people expect to see. It’s about figuring out a way to get your point across, whatever truth you believe is essential to pass on, and to get it across without losing your audience. And if that means sometimes you have to sing . . . so be it.