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Experiencing The Power of Information Science
Experiencing The Power of Information Science
Statue of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce outside the National Anthropological Archives
This past summer, I had the unique honor of escorting a Brazilian fellow, Carolina Camargo, to the Smithsonian's National Anthropological Archives. I was to act as translator and co-researcher for her as she searched for evidence of the existence of her native people, the Potiguara. Since the burning of the National Museum of Brazil in September 2018, the government had begun actively erasing the demarcations of native tribes, pulling funds from them and even closing local schools. Because the "proof" of the Potiguara's lengthy history and culture had been destroyed, there was nothing to stop the government taking these actions. Carolina and I searched old tomes like the one pictured below, finding books translating Guarany, the language of the Potiguara, people into Latin, French and Portuguese as well as maps and pictures.
Title page from João Pedro Gay's 1881 tome, Manuel de Conversacion.
The manual provided direct translation between French, Portuguese, Spanish and Guarany.
Truly, one of the most incredible moments of my life was seeing her after she viewed old film being held in cold storage. The film archivist had taken me aside and expressed to me that he felt uncomfortable showing them to Carolina because they had an exploitative tone to them; he worried it would be insulting or upsetting to her. I did my very best in my admittedly rusty Portuguese to explain the concern, but she was insistent on seeing the films. When she returned from viewing the films, Carolina was in tears and I though the film archivists fears had been realized. I was very wrong.
Carolina was crying tears of joy at seeing her people united, singing native songs, dancing together and engaging in rituals.
Carolina was crying tears of joy at seeing her people united, singing native songs, dancing together and engaging in rituals.
This moment was deeply profound for me as it compelled me to a greater understanding of what the primary source documents and artifacts held in the archives mean to people. For Carolina, it was not just proof she could use to fight an unjust government seeking to erase her culture but also a connection to the past, an inspiration to keep fighting. The human value was just as significant - if not more - than the legal value.
After, I reflected on all my grade school social studies textbooks filled with pictures of different cultures and how, to me, they were just visual aids to help liven up material. I never consciously absorbed the information beyond a one-dimensional representation. This was a "light bulb moment" because it was a pure demonstration of the power of the archives and the knowledge they hold. This understanding had hovered in my consciousness since before I began my program, but, maybe because I had never been privileged to see a life change, I could not fully grasp the significance of archival materials.
Perhaps more than any other moment in my course of studies, this one reinforced I was making the right decision to take up the mantle of archival work.
Perhaps more than any other moment in my course of studies, this one reinforced I was making the right decision to take up the mantle of archival work.
The archives are far more powerful for different reasons than I ever dreamed possible.
The archives are far more powerful for different reasons than I ever dreamed possible.
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