- Laila Zahra Harris
- Affiliation: Latin American & Caribbean Studies, School of Languages & Literatures
- Supervisor: Dr. Gordana Yovanovich
- Dissertation Title : (Re)membering History: Ancestral Knowledge, Cultural Memory & Identity in Barbados
- Bio: Laila holds a B.A. (hons) in Anthropology, and an M.A. in Public Issues Anthropology from the University of Guelph. Her previous master’s thesis is titled, “Roots of History, Seeds of Change: Women Organic Farmers & Environmental Health in Jamaica.” Laila also holds a Certificate in Caribbean Studies from Ryerson University; and is an Academic Mentor for the University of Guelph’s CHROMA Project; as well as a Graduate Student Senator for the 2020-21 academic year. Laila’s current research, which focuses on the relationships between Caribbean ancestral history, collective memory and cultural identity to explore the historical experiences of enslaved Africans in Barbados has been generously supported by a 2019-2020 Research Fellowship in the University of Guelph’s Digital Humanities (THINC) Lab, Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2019-2020 & 2020-2021); College of Arts Graduate Research and Travel Award, and a University of Guelph Graduate Scholarship. Finally, Laila is also a mother of 2 amazing children, ages 3 and 6, which is her most challenging and rewarding role of all!
Tell us more about your Dissertation Topic: Just like a tree depends on its roots to gather nutrients from the soil, our ancestral history is the foundation from which our cultural knowledge, memories and identities are developed and sustained. In the Caribbean specifically, the ancestral history of African-descendant peoples is inextricably linked to colonialism and slavery, yet it is within this history of trauma and oppression that the voices and perspectives of enslaved peoples have largely been silenced and obscured (Edmondson, 1993; Lange and Handler, 2009). Because ancestral knowledge influences the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and where we come from (Hall, 2001), my proposed study will explore the relationships between Caribbean ancestral history, collective memory and cultural identity. In particular, my research will merge postcolonial and anthropological theory to explore the historical experiences of enslaved Africans in Barbados, linking these slave narratives to the formation of cultural identity and memory within the Barbadian community in Canada. As an ideological framework, postcolonial theory focuses on the formation of postcolonial identities (Henry and Tator, 2006), and the subjective experiences of those (temporarily) silenced by colonialism (Williams and Chrisman, 1993). Ethnohistory is also an important framework from which to study the daily lives of enslaved Caribbean peoples (Lange and Handler, 2009), as it blends anthropology with historical analysis (Axtell, 1979), and examines the subjective realities embedded in images, artifacts, documents, and cultural narratives (Kellner, 1995). With scholars pointing to the lack of data on the daily lives of Barbadian slaves (Lange and Handler, 2009), and as a woman of Afro-Barbadian descent, I am particularly interested in using an interdisciplinary approach to study the ways in which my Barbadian ancestors experienced and navigated slavery, as well as the impact of these stories on the historical knowledge of contemporary Barbadian-Canadians. Thus, my specific objectives are to study (a) archival documents and oral histories as sources of ancestral knowledge that reveal the subjective experiences, perspectives, strategies and knowledges of Barbadian slaves, and (b) the impact of these ancestral narratives on the (re)negotiation of cultural memory and identity among Barbadians in Canada.
Sex and/or Gender Considerations of This Research Project: Research has shown that Barbados was the only plantation economy in which enslaved women outnumbered enslaved men, and that beginning as early as 1715, the female majority in Barbados distinguished the island’s population from other Caribbean plantation societies (Beckles, 1989). As the academic literature suggests that various factors contributed to the demographic sex ratios of Afro-Caribbean slaves on Barbadian plantations, including lower price at market; fertility and reproductive capabilities; the assumption that women slaves were less violent and more manageable; and a preference for women’s agricultural knowledge and practices (Beckles, 1989), this study will incorporate feminist methodologies to explore the social significance of gender as it relates to the lived experiences of slavery in Barbados (Hammersley, 1992). Furthermore, while gendered demographic data suggests that Barbados was a, “woman’s society,” the physical and biological aspects that dominated enslaved Barbadian women’s life experiences (Beckles, 1989), also necessitate that both gender and sex considerations are incorporated into this program of study. Thus, in addition to anthropological and postcolonial theory, my research will incorporate a feminist analysis of oral histories and archival materials to challenge conventional assumptions about the agency and power of enslaved peoples in Barbados.
How does DH feature in your research, most broadly speaking: The methodological approach of this interdisciplinary project will benefit from my recent appointment as a 2019-2020 Research Fellow in the University of Guelph’s Digital Humanities (THINC) Lab, which will enable me to incorporate digital tools as a means of engaging in ethnographic research in new and exciting ways. Specifically, I intend to document the fieldwork data I obtain through oral histories and archival material into an interactive digital map that will feature photographic, audio, video and textual elements related to narratives of slavery in Barbados. The creation of a digital map of Barbadian ethnohistory is well suited for this project, as maps have been defined as markers of cultural and historical space and symbols of identity in the Caribbean (Poupeye, 1998). This project will incorporate ethnohistoric field research and the study of historical documents at the Barbados National Archives (which holds a vast collection of primary sources, including narratives, ledgers, planter journals, manuscripts, reports, letters, books, maps and photographs), as well as oral history interviews with Barbadian elders who hold ancestral and familial knowledge about the lived experiences of slavery, including landmarks, songs, and geographical narratives – all of which will be included in my interactive digital map.
Tell us about the authors, projects, or ideas that inspire your thinking & research: I am inspired by the strength and stories of my ancestors. I want to discover more of my history and honour those before me whose voices were silenced, but whom I admire and respect greatly. Ultimately, my research is driven by a quest to be grounded in my roots, and by a motivation to reach my fullest potential.