By: Toni Beaton (First-Year MI Student)

This year’s Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture, featuring Rita Tjien Fooh, was a great success. The lecture began with opening remarks and a thoughtful land acknowledgement by Mike Smit, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Management. Sandra Toze, Director of the School of Information Management, then provided background information on Dr. Norman Horrocks, the event’s namesake. Dr. Horrocks was a key part of the team as a strong advocate for SIM and the profession at large. The fund in his name supports this annual lecture and a scholarship (learn more about the fund here). SIM thanks the Horrocks family for their continued support.

Dr. Jamila Ghaddar, Assistant Professor with SIM, then introduced the keynote speaker, Rita Tjien Fooh.

Rita Tjien Fooh, Director of the National Archives Suriname, gave an engaging and thought-provoking lecture entitled “Perspectives from the global south (Suriname) on archival repatriation: Challenges and Opportunities.” Rita began with some background context on the country of Suriname, located on the northeast coast of South America. With an ethnically diverse population of approximately 600,000, the economy of Suriname thrives on exports, including oil, gold, and timber. The National Archives of Suriname (Nationaal Archief Suriname) was rebuilt after a fire in 1996; in 2010, the new archives building was inaugurated. It consists of paper, audiovisual, and digital records from 1669 to 2010. The Archives is responsible for implementing policies, the supervision of government records, transfers and acquisitions, arrangement and description, digitization, preservation and conservation, as well as providing access to the public through finding aids.

Between 1916 and 1977, the archives (under Dutch colonial occupation) were transferred to the National Archives of the Netherlands for ‘safekeeping’. This transfer occurred because the archives were scattered across multiple buildings in Suriname, as no official archives building existed at the time. However, as soon as the archives building was completed in 2010, Suriname expected all archival holdings be returned from the Netherlands. Rita took it upon herself as a personal and professional goal to repatriate the archives to Suriname. These archives were a critical part of Surinamese peoples’ history. Some key questions Rita raised were: Who are our heroes and heroines? How can we (re)construct our history if we do not know our past?

The Netherlands had no issue returning the archives to Suriname (as it was in the dated protocol from 1916), but the “when” and “how” was complicated. From 2008-2009, Suriname archivists began this discussion. In the end, it took seven years to complete the entire process of repatriation. There were moments of discomfort and silences, particularly due to the power imbalance between the Netherlands and Suriname – the timetable, preservation, and digitization of records yielded the most uncomfortable conversations. From 2010 to 2017, 800 meters shelf length of records were digitized and repatriated to Suriname.

Rita explained that colonial archives reflect the power dynamic between the oppressor and the oppressed and it is the stories of the oppressor that will be highlighted. Decolonization is the ‘undoing’ of these colonial actions to favour Suriname peoples’ own stories and identities. To engage in decolonization of archival documents, one must reconsider the history of the collection, reinterpret the content, revalue the records (particularly of those who have been excluded), and allow for equity in access.

There has been a strong movement toward decolonizing archival records within the last five years in Caribbean countries. Repatriation is of utmost importance to people who have been marginalized in history; in order to revalue their own history, direct access to heritage and records is crucial. The process of decolonization can begin after the repatriation of the archives. Community Archives is an excellent method to fill the gaps and silences in the history; researchers can also turn to community centres for information (which is happening in Suriname as well).

To those who virtually joined us on Monday, thank you for continuing to show your support for this annual event. Having expanded this event into the online forum, there are many possibilities to host worldwide guest lecturers. We look forward to the 2024 Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture!

This event is virtual, free, and open to all. Please share throughout your networks.

The 2023 Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Lecture

Rita Tjien Fooh
Director of the National Archives Suriname

Perspectives from the global south (Suriname) on archival repatriation: challenges and opportunities

Monday, February 13th, 2023
5:30pm (Atlantic Standard Time – AST)
Online

REGISTER HERE
RSVPs are required

• Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqWos_LwDFE
• Watch on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1860776507589931

Respondent (providing a brief interactive response to the lecture): Ir. Arjan Agema from the National Archives of the Netherlands

Endorsed by: Association of Canadian Archivists, International Council on Archives (Expert Group on Shared Archival Heritage), Library & Archives Canada, Nova Scotia Archives.

Abstract: Over the past five decades there has been a  growing consciousness  among archival institutions from the global south that the construction of their history and identity were based on the sources and narratives compiled by former colonial powers. The dominant storyline and perspectives in the archival sources were determined by the entity who held the power at that time. Access to these archival sources that are held in the repositories in Europe, USA , Canada and other countries are therefore of utmost importance for researchers and institutions in order to decolonize the archives . At the same time local acquisitions and recordings of oral history  are  important methods  for institutions to  control their own narratives and move beyond sources of the colonial archives.  In my presentation I will elaborate on the archival collaboration between the National Archives Suriname and the Netherlands, with a focus on the repatriation of colonial archives between 2010 and 2017 and the various projects both institutions undertook since then.  In addition, this lecture will also be centered around subjects linked to fostering archival collaboration with regional and international archival institutions and organisations, initiating conversations about best practices, and the role of archives in reparatory justice.  Lastly, in the age of repatriation of paper archives and digital collaboration, the global south is becoming increasingly dependent on hosting in the global north where different regulations apply with regard to open access, free reuse of archives, etc. How will this increasing sphere of influence of the global north affect the future of digital heritage?  

Speaker Bio: Rita Tjien Fooh is currently the Director of the National Archives Suriname. Since taking office as national archivist in 2010, she was involved in a seven year project (2010- 2017) for the repatriation of the colonial archives from the Netherlands to Suriname. This project is considered to be one of the large successful repatriation project on international level. She is member of the Foundation for the Historical Database Suriname and Curacao (HDSC) that was launched in 2018 after the successful implementation of the database of the enslaved people. Furthermore she serves in various national committees for the preservation of cultural heritage.

Mrs. Tjien Fooh is also actively involved in regional and international professional organizations. From 2015- 2019 she was  the President of the Caribbean Branch of the International Council on Archives (CARBICA).  During her CARBICA presidency she launched a three year project (2016- 2018) ‘Archives at Risk: Advocacy & Capacity building in the Caribbean’, a project funded by the International Council on Archives (ICA). In her capacity as CARBICA President she represented the Caribbean region in the Executive Board of the ICA.  Until recently (2021) Mrs. Tjien Fooh served the ICA in various roles. From 2015- 2017 she was the President of the UNESCO Memory of the World Program for the Latin American and Caribbean Region. Since January 2018 she was appointed by the Secretary General of the UNESCO, as a member of International Advisory Committee (IAC) of  the Memory of the World Programme of the UNESCO. Currently Mrs. Tjien Fooh is a part time lecturer at the History Department of the Anton de Kom University of Suriname. She is still actively involved in projects related to the preservation and safeguarding of the Caribbean cultural heritage.  In her role as co-chair of the Caribbean Heritage Emergency Network (CHEN) she is currently preparing a project to launch a Caribbean hub for Cultural Emergency response in 2023. Rita Tjien Fooh holds a Archivistiek A degree from the University of Amsterdam and a Master degree in Public Administration from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam.

Following the lecture, the Dalhousie-Horrocks National Leadership Fund will be presented to MI student, Maddie Hare. This Fund was established in 2007 to honour Dr. Norman Horrocks, OC, PhD, FCLIP (1927-2010) for his outstanding leadership in the field of librarianship in North America, Australia, and Europe. Over several decades Dr. Horrocks, former Director of the School of Information Management and Dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, pursued a distinguished career of very active involvement in professional associations in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, Australia, the United States, and Canada. His many contributions, for which he received local, national and international recognition, have advanced the field and the careers of countless individuals. The fund supports a scholarship and an associated lecture series through an endowment donated by the many former students, colleagues, friends and admirers of Norman Horrocks.

Respondent Bio: Ir. Arjan Agema is head of the Digitization department of the National Archives of the Netherlands and member of the management team. His team digitizes 1700 meters of archive every year. He is also responsible for the International Heritage Cooperation-program which emphasizes cooperation, exchange of (digital) collections and capacity building with a number of priority countries with special relations with the Netherlands. Since 2015 he is president of the board of Archives Portal Europe Foundation and he is a member of the ICA Expert group on shared archival heritage (EGSAH). Being educated as a non-western rural sociologist, Agema has work in development cooperation, and has had several leading positions in museums and archival institutions.