Looking back to move forward?

An immersion into the study of History as a profound academic discipline and even as a hobby can be reasoned to be very beneficial to the people of Wai’tukubuli (Dominica). This is vital, for it is a very important tool that can help in research eventually leading to a better understanding of our existence as a people and more importantly the country in which we live. It can also be claimed that, history offers a collection of information about how our people behaved over the period of time we have inhabited the island.

As such, it has also been noted by many that understanding the operations of people and the society is difficult, though a number of disciplines make the attempt. It can be contended that a limited reliance on current data would needlessly handicap our efforts in this regard. The Roman philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) once stated that: “History is the witness that testifies to the passing of time; it illumines reality, vitalizes memory, provides guidance in daily life and brings us tidings of antiquity.”

Is it possible to assess economic collapse or if the nation is prospering without historical materials? Also, can we understand intelligence, the influence of technical improvement, or the role that beliefs play in shaping family life, without what we know about experiences in the past?

Although many claim that government institutions and non-governmental organizations, with the help of some social scientists, attempt to formulate laws or theories about human behaviour, these recourses for all intent and purposes must depend on historical information. For instance, major aspects of the Wai’tukubulian (Dominican) society’s operation, like general and village council elections, cultural activities, or diplomatic relations, cannot be set up as precise tests and thus, history must serve, however imperfectly, as a workshop. The famous Italian historian and politician Niccolo Machiavelli (3 May 1469 – 21 June 1527) on one occasion related that:
“Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.”

Moreover, data from the past must therefore serve as our most vital evidence in the unavoidable quest to figure out why the inhabitants of the country behave as they do in our societal setting. This, fundamentally, is why the support for research done by people properly trained in utilizing history as an academic tool and even those acquiring amateur history skills offer the only extensive evidential base for the contemplation and analysis of how that society functions. The Irish statesman Edmund Burke (12 January 1729 – 9 July 1797) at one point observed that:
“In history, a great volume is unrolled for our instruction, drawing the materials of future wisdom from the past errors and infirmities of mankind.”

It must be noted, that as a moral obligation, people simply need to have some sense of how our country operates merely to run their lives.

In our considerations of Wai’tukubuli as a small independent state, a serious emphasis on history at all levels within the education system, government departments and non-governmental institutions is essential. This is especially important when focusing on the relations among the small indigenous population and between the residents of African, Asian and European-descent. To a large extent, it will help us to understand change and how the Kalinago community and the wider Wai’tukubulian society we live in came to be. The legendary Jamaican political leader Marcus Garvey (17 August 1887 – 10 June 1940) perceived that:

“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.”

This is why confidence is expressed in the fact that history is inescapable as a subject of serious study. On the other hand, in no way must there be a discounting of an interdisciplinary approach to learning through Social-Studies or Social Sciences for example, but this arguably can only be done when we have created strong foundations of the disciplines forming these approach.

It can be asserted, with the support of many, that the past influences the present, and so the future. In this regard, any time we try to know why something happened; whether a shift in political party dominance in the government, a major change in the problems like teenage pregnancy, drug abuse and the plight of the indigenous population-we have to without a doubt look for factors that took shape earlier. The American science fiction writer Robert Anson Heinlein (July 7, 1907 – May 8, 1988) categorically postulated that:

“A generation which ignores history has no past-and no future.”

It has been observed that sometimes fairly recent happenings will be sufficient to explain a major development, but often we need to look further back to identify the causes of change. It has been continually been vocalized and penned by many that only through studying history can we grasp how things change; only through history can we begin to comprehend the factors that cause change; and only through history can we understand what elements of an institution or our society persist despite change. American poet and novelist Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) suggests that:

“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.”

It must also be celebrated that there is no serious attempt in inculcating or nurturing a love for the rich heritage of the country which cannot be unearthed through the serious study of our historical past.

In the final analysis, it can indeed be pronounced that an engagement into the study of History as an insightful academic discipline and even as a leisurely pursuit is very beneficial to us. As a very important instrument it will doubtlessly help in explorations eventually leading to a better understanding of our society. History without a doubt provides identity and this is unquestionably one of the reasons many argue that all modern nations encourage its teaching in some form. This is understandably so, since historical data include evidence about how families, groups, institutions and whole countries were formed and about how they have evolved while retaining their structure.

In the end, why should we care about history? It is basically because we are all human beings possessing a vast memory bank and function by using our own experiences and that of others.

Let’s then look back to move forward.

Cozier P. Frederick is a post-graduate student of the University of the West Indies