The History Forum

 

"My analog mix tape is on cassette. Your digital fantasy is …." : Some Reflections on Barbados, Digital Rights and the “Thingification” in the Arts, Culture and Heritage  By, Dr. Tara Inniss, Department of History, Philosophy and Psychology  I will be dropping some samples from my mix tape in a series which will explore some concepts of digital rights and ethics in the space of arts, culture and heritage in Barbados and the Diaspora. In an era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and “big data” we need more local oversight of culture and heritage, not less especially in the management of our digital repositories. Our so-called “digital transformation” must ensure that they are managed in a way that prioritizes access for Barbadians to their history and culture. There can be no discussion of decolonization and the “public good” that does not honour the birthright of Barbadians to determine their own value as creators, owners and consumers of their history and culture. Track 1 “IP, ...

A Symbolic State of Affairs and Some Words from Our Fallen Historians  By, Dr. Tara Inniss Department of History, Philosophy and Psychology, The UWI, Cave Hill Campus  How symbolic of our current state of affairs that we remove from among our first landing places of indigenous, European and African peoples, the very civic institutions that are part of an enduring (and admittedly problematic) development of our modern democracy to put up yet another hotel on our already hotel-dense “Platinum Coast”? According to the Ministerial Statement delivered by Dr. the Hon. William Duguid on March 7, 2025 the listed indigenous archaeological site, the remnants of a military fortification, and a monument may now be retained – we hope. But the land tax department. The post office. The police station and magistrate’s court. The library. All parts of movements and institutions that have been providing Barbadians and visitors to these shores with services that have become part of our daily liv...

  For the past few weeks, my young son has been demanding to watch “Red Panda” or the 2022 Disney Pixar animated film called “Turning Red” about a young Asian-Canadian girl and her mother who take care of their family’s temple dedicated to their maternal ancestor whose totem is the red panda. One of the sub-plots of the children’s animation is that of a heartwarming, albeit Disnified, depiction of ancestral worship but its representation in mainstream popular culture means that it is becoming increasingly visible in representing cultural diversity in film. Many cultures all over the world use altars, temples and other sacred spaces, as well as events, performances and other intangible elements to honour the dead or to call on the ancestors for guidance. Ancestral worship is tied to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Jongmyo Shrine in Korea and and the Royal Court of Tiébélé in Burkina Faso. Regionally, you will see lit candles in the graveyards of largely Catholic cemeteries to hon...

When you disturb the earth… Ancestral memory awakens . Some Perspectives from History and Archaeology   By, Dr. Tara Inniss Our ancestors believed that from the moment of birth, we are not only tied to our mothers but also to the land. The invisible and material cord that connects mother to child -- a child's lifeblood before and during birth once severed continued to have profound spiritual power that could be tied to the land. When Bajans gather around the world, they proudly say their "navel string is buried right here" -- in Barbados. Often with great care it is planted under a fruit tree in the belief that it will guarantee the child's future prosperity and self-reliance -- the spiritual and material bond between mother, child and landscape is sealed. Similarly, if care is not taken in burying the umbilical cord and the land around it is disturbed by the forgotten strike of a spade or a foraging animal, it is said that the child will also be disturbed later in li...

The Barbados Museum & Historical Society, in collaboration with the Department of History and Philosophy of The University of the West Indies (UWI), proudly presents the 2024 Lecture Series themed: 'Newton Uncovered: Exploring the 21st Century Legacy of the Enslaved Burial Ground at Newton. ' History at the Core,' was presented by Dr. Tara Inniss on Thursday, May 30, 2024. First. As Chair of the Newton Development Sub-Committee and on behalf of my very enthusiastic and committed committee to welcome you to our lecture and tour series on Newton Uncovered: Exploring the 21st Century Legacy of the Enslaved Burial Ground at Newton. As we continue to celebrate the Barbados Museum and Historical Society’s 90th anniversary, I am very grateful to the Publications and Programming Committee for agreeing to move forward with this lecture series.  We have been very keen to develop more outreach activities to engage our many communities about the legacies at Newton. I urge you to pl...