The Past is Key To Moving Forward

I really enjoyed the class discussion this past Tuesday September 4, in regards to the book Michel-Rolph Trouillot’s Silencing the Past. Comparing the narrative Columbus “Discovery of America,” to what we had learned as children vs. what we now know as adults.  

 Trouillot argues that in the writing of history lots of things get lost and whatever is lost impacts our perception of the past. If we are never exposed to certain details we cannot fully develop an understanding of what went on.

Nel and I had discussed that growing up we were both given very peaceful images as to Columbus’s journey to the new world, his search of spices in India and stumbling upon America. We were always told that exchange between the Native Americans and Europeans was quite peaceful and that both parties were eager to learn from each other. Basically all we knew was this….

In fourteen hundred ninety-two
Columbus sailed the ocean blue.

He had three ships and left from Spain;
He sailed through sunshine, wind and rain.

He sailed by night; he sailed by day;
He used the stars to find his way.

October 12 their dream came true,
You never saw a happier crew!

“Indians! Indians!” Columbus cried;
His heart was filled with joyful pride.

The Arakawa natives were very nice;
They gave the sailors food and spice.

Columbus sailed on to find some gold
To bring back home, as he’d been told.

He made the trip again and again,
Trading gold to bring to Spain ( Mama Lisa’s Blog).

I think that at any age it is important to address that he was not the first person to find and explore America. I think that as children get older its important to discuss that Columbus had brought with him the idea of slaves, slavery, diseases, war, violence and trade. On top of that we need to be aware of how the Native Americans felt about explorers being on their land.

Doing this activity brings up and important concept of how from a very young age we are sheltered and limited to just one way of thinking. Never in school did I read anything on the Native American’s aspect of life when the explorers came and took over.

Before I read this book I had no idea about the Haitian Revolution. It was something that wasn’t even talked about in school. Any time we discussed slave revolutions it always had to do with southern plantations pre civil war. The fact that slavery existed in other countries before America still blows my mind.

 I found it interesting the impact The Haitian Revolution had in in the United States. How the people of the south feared that the slave revolution might spread from the island of Hispaniola to the slave plantations of the southern United States. They believed that the Haitian Revolution would inspire slaves to revolt.

My favorite quote of the entire book “But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

The past is only the past because we move on to the present. We have a tendency to overlook the past but the past is key to going forward.