O T H E R W AY S O F R E M E M B E R I N G

L e c t u re , t h e H u m b o l d t U n i v e r s i t y z u B e r l i n - U n i v e r s i t a s G a d j a h M a d a - U n i v e r s i t i S a i n s M a l a y s i a I n t e r n a t i o n a l S u m m e r S c h o o l i n S o u t h e a s t A s i a n S t u d i e s , " T h e R e t u r n o f t h e P a s t : M e m o r y - m a k i n g a n d H e r i t a g e i n S o u t h e a s t A s i a " , U S M , P e n a n g , 1 1 / 3 / 1 5

Ly e Tu c k - P o , S c h o o l o f S o c i a l S c i e n c e s , U n i v e r s i t i S a i n s M a l a y s i a , P e n a n g . t p l y e @ y a h o o . c o mLy e Tu c k - P o , S c h o o l o f S o c i a l S c i e n c e s , U n i v e r s i t i S a i n s M a l a y s i a , P e n a n g . t p l y e @ y a h o o . c o m

O U T L I N E : “ O T H E R W AY S O F R E M E M B E R I N G ”

1.“other ways”?

2.What is remembering?

3.What is memory?

“ O T H E R W AY S ”

• interactions between everyday forms of “relatedness” (kinship), memories, & political contexts (Janet Carsten, Ghosts of memory)

• exclusionary practices

• politics of forgetting

• standardising history

F I N D I N G “ O T H E R W AY S ”

• “counter-memories” (Foucault)

• Problems:

• do they see it that way? (challenging “forced forgetting”)

• “othering”: exoticising; different from “us”, therefore “lesser”

– B R O N . M A L I N O W S K I , A R G O N A U T S O F T H E W E S T E R N PA C I F I C ( 1 9 2 2 )

“Imagine yourself suddenly set down…. alone on a tropical beach ….”

A G TA , P ’ P I N E S . P H O T O ( C ) B I O N G R I F F I N

O T H E R N E S S

• terms of discourse set by dominant side

• monumentalism as measure of history / greatness

• nation as the proper unit of belonging

• memories made “narratable” (transferable to media)

B AT E K ( O R A N G A S L I ) , M ’ S I A

D o t h e y h a v e a c o n c e p t o f “ re m e m b e r i n g ” ?

yes…

D o t h e y re m e m b e r i n t h e s a m e w a y ?

t r a c k s & t r a c e s

n o t d e s t r u c t i v e , n o t r e c o r d e d , n o t l e g i t i m a t e d

C L A S H I N G E P I S T E M O L O G I E S

YA M - D I G G I N G T R A I L

C O L L E C T I O N P O I N T

L O C A L K N O W L E D G E S , L O C A L M E M O R I E S , L O C A L H I S T O R I E S , L O C A L N A R R AT I V E S

W H AT ’ S D I F F E R E N T ?

T H E “ S O C I A L ” I N M E M O R Y

• idea of the collective: “society” (shared interests)

• publicly shared memories

• hard to sustain in an egalitarian society

• authenticity: not sustainable

• truth-claims: everyday practice (autonomous individuals)

• memories: short lifespans

Diversity in modes of kinship & remembrance: W. Penan & Batek compared

Apical ancestor -9 generations Anonymous ancestor -5 generations

? ? ? ?

?

Western Penan Batek

W H AT I S R E M E M B E R I N G ?

W H AT I S R E M E M B E R I N G ?

• memory ➤ memory-making ➤ history ➤ heritage

• self ➤ group/ society ➤ nation ➤ “universal”

• presumes the urge / pressure to “join”

“ o u r expe r i ence o f t h e p r e s e n t v e r y l a r g e l y d e p e n d s u p o n o u r know l edge o f t h e p a s t … A n d w e w i l l e x p e r i e n c e o u r p r e s e n t d i f f e r e n t l y i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e d i f f e r e n t p a s t s t o w h i c h w e a r e a b l e t o connec t t h a t p r e s e n t . ”

C O N N E R T O N ( 1 9 8 9 : 2 )

M A K I N G M E M O R I E S

• habit-memories: process of incorporated knowledge

• explains why “authenticity” can never be achieved

• is heritage “protection” another way to “museumise” experience?

W H AT I S M E M O R Y ?

W H AT I S M E M O R Y ?

• difference between memory (cognitive process) and mnemonic practices (ways of remembering)

• latter: social, shared

• intimately linked to experience and positioning… & movement

• narrativising: risk, threat, condensation, reductiveness