Our museums bring hidden histories to light
Museums are not the only voice of authority in their galleries. Within the exhibits and curated displays are the voices of those whose culture, history and stories are brought to life.
As trusted educational institutions in our society, the exhibits chosen for display are elevated in significance, indicating to the public that they matter and deserve their attention and action. Intentional or not, some stories are privileged by being told over others.
This can just as easily cause harm to a community as it can help, especially the Black, Indigenous, people of colour and 2SLGBTQ2IA+ communities who have long been under-represented in museums. Across Canada, museums are acknowledging their role in perpetuating hidden histories. Curators are actively seeking ways to challenge existing narratives and engage with the communities whose truths have been too long in the dark.
The Diefenbaker Canada Centre (DCC), one of a dozen museums in and around Saskatoon, helps its visitors connect with history and citizenship on a personal level, hosting travelling exhibits from museums and galleries across the country.
Currently, the centre hosts a travelling exhibit, Lost Liberties: The War Measures Act from the Canadian Museum of History, which, explores the suspension of civil liberties during the First and Second World Wars and the October Crisis, highlighting the experiences of those interned or jailed because of their culture and heritage.
The War Measures Act, passed in 1914, was used only three times in Canadian history before it was repealed and replaced by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's government with the Emergencies Act in 1988. It imposed censorship, required registration for certain groups of people, suspended freedom of expression and association, and deprived people of legal protections. During the First World War, around 8,500 German Canadian and Ukrainian Canadian men were arrested and interned at camps. Some of these camps had lodgings nearby for the families of the men, but they struggled to get by. The only internment camp located in Saskatchewan was the Eaton camp, located southwest of Saskatoon on the Pike Lake highway where the Saskatchewan Railway Museum is.
The Saskatchewan German Council, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Prairie Centre for the Study of Ukrainian Heritage, and the railway museum with funding from the Canadian First World War Internment Recognition Fund worked together to establish a permanent indoor exhibit to recognize and commemorate the history of the location.
In 1942, more than 21,000 Japanese Canadians, 75 per cent of whom were Canadian born or naturalized citizens, were forced to relocate inland from the West Coast, their homes and businesses confiscated and sold, forced to live in internment camps, prisoner of war camps or were sent to work on sugar beet farms.
This included their children, who to this day advocate for those whose human rights have been violated and now share their stories in forums such as museums, to educate Canadians.
The Canadian Museum of History acknowledged that they are the authoritative narrators in this exhibit, utilizing their firsthand accounts to tell their story.
Visiting exhibits like this is an important way for Canadians to gain insight on how decisions at all levels of government have directly affected their fellow citizens and learn how to advocate for change in today's society.
Exhibits like Lost Liberties give people the opportunity to share their experiences, to be represented in a museum space, and for the wider community to gain compassion and understanding for others different from themselves.
Museums have a responsibility to the truth and can be brave spaces that can contribute to positive societal change by actively engaging with community and holding space for under-represented voices. These aren't new concepts and have been implemented in museums internationally. It is why museums host exhibits that tell hard truths and difficult histories and why meaningful engagement with those whose stories are told is essential.