Conservationists: Reassess historical figures

The Citizens for Conservation group says monuments such as statues in public spaces, as well as buildings and street names, should reflect people whose actions and legacies should be celebrated.

Its president Rudylynn Roberts issued a statement on Tuesday on behalf of the group, after asking its members for their thoughts on the matter.

The statue of Christopher Columbus in southeast Port of Spain has dominated the conversation about whether or not monuments to colonial historical figures should be removed and placed in museums.

"Needless to say, opinions vary from highly charged and emotional to cold and factual, well-thought-out recommendations," Roberts said. "One member even said they did not consider that Columbus did anything significant to be lauded."

She argued that while historical monuments serve the purpose "as symbols of norms and values of the day and of a particular time," they should be located where they can be viewed within historical context.

"Should they be judged by modern standards and morals? Would simply the removal have any effect at all on inequalities of race, class or gender?

"It should be noted, however, that knowing our history is separate from tributes to individuals which should be treated with great sensitivity.

She said the practice of renaming places and reconsidering monuments is not new."

She recalled that Brunswick Square was renamed Woodford Square and Marine Square was renamed Independence Square.

"Is this airbrushing history by removing visual reminders of events and history as if they did not exist?

"Moving some monuments would erase the crimes of the infamous from the memory of future generations," she said, noting that Germans now use concentration camps as museums, while Jews, the victims, have reminders of the Holocaust all over the world.

The principle is that people must never forget, so that history is not repeated, she pointed out, and these monuments are used as teaching tools.

However, "Characters represented in statues, buildings and street names should be persons whose deeds and thoughts, actions and legacies should be celebrated. This suggests that in every generation we should re-evaluate our heroes and determine if they are still relevant."

She said the idea that public places should only be named after people who have contributed "universal value" to the nation's history should be considered.

"Or," she said, "find some other way to laud heroes…like a sculpture garden where the explanations can be given regarding the person’s contribution to society."

Roberts added that the country is also at a turning point in terms of the accuracy of lessons being taught to schoolchildren, particularly in history classes.

"History was always written to glorify the conqueror," she said.

"We respectfully suggest that our tertiary institutions invest in scholarships for research to redo the text books to tell the full story (of) our history and that we teach history at all levels."

Statues and memorabilia removed from public spaces as she suggested "could be teaching points if they are placed in museums, side by side with documents and first-person accounts from the era.

"We can begin with showing students and visitors the way Columbus was lionised in a history textbook and also tell the story from the perspective of the First Peoples."

"In doing so, we can open up discussion, gain further knowledge and make our places and collections relevant and responsive to increasingly diverse audiences."