HIS295H5 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Griot, Slave Narrative, Yoruba People
Document Summary
What is a primary source: a period piece, something produce in that time period, often a document, diaries, journals, films, literature. Learn to read the sources, understand their context, they are all making arguments. Indigenous written archives: ancient egyptian script, ge"ez texts in ethiopia from 5th century, Islam and spread of arabic from 8th century: colonial project was to produce documents, europeans going to africa produce knowledge through institutions, missionaries and explorers accounts. Mau mau massacre cover-up detailed in newly-opened secret files: thousands of documents destroyed by the british during the massacre. The most sensitive documents are kept in the vault. How chose to keep them: assume that you are always getting a partial story. African christians in the 30s were often early writers of history and diaries. The old way of keeping knowledge is dying out and through writing to keep from dying. Literacy is used as a weapon not just by europeans.
