Get to Know a Faculty Member: Dr. Donald Wetherell
Monday, 30 January 2012 22:42
Dr. Wetherell’s involvement at AU stretches back as far as the 1980’s when he served as a history tutor. As the first Director of the Heritage Resources Management Program at AU, he describes creation of the program as “a wonderful and rewarding experience.” Born in Edmonton, Alberta, he moved with his parents to Saskatchewan where he grew up on a farm in the park land country near Tisdale.
At the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Wetherell completed both his undergrad and Master of Arts in History, even though he admits that his childhood passion lay in archaeology. The next stop on his educational path was Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. There he completed his PhD in Late Nineteenth Century Canadian Social History.
At the moment his scholarly passions are expressed in the two books he is working on.
In his own words, “I am writing a book on the relationship of people with wildlife on the prairies since the 1870s. It is almost finished, and I hope to submit it for publication later this year. For a number of reasons, the relationship that people have had with wild animals has often varied. It has sometimes been very nasty and doesn't speak well of human behaviour. But it has also shown some simple but noble human behaviour and attitudes. Sometimes, these contradictory traits show up in the same person, and this, I think, tells us a lot about humans’ capacity to be brutal but also to be good. So, it isn't a straight contest between good and bad but is about the complexities that drive humans to do what they do.”
The second book, which is further from completion, is about the history of museums in Canada since World War II. Dr. Wetherell describes that, “It studies how the ways that we have defined and expressed heritage in the context of museums has been driven by broader cultural, social and political patterns and thinking.”
Outside of the professional world, when asked to paint a picture of a perfect day, he answered: “go hiking in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, walk on a long hard sand beach, work in the garden, read, watch a good movie, do some writing, have a nice dinner, and be with those I love.”
When asked where he sees the future of the heritage sector going in Canada and in Alberta, his answer explained both the purpose of heritage to humanity and why Alberta and Canada have supported and continue to support work in the heritage sector.
“The heritage sector is a crucial part of cultural life. It is one of the surest routes that people have to gain both a collective and personal confidence in themselves. Heritage can inspire people to understand themselves and who they are. But this doesn't mean that one should simply boost one's heritage and look at it through a single lens. It isn't like a hockey game where fans sometimes find no fault in their team since if we understand the dark aspects of our history and culture we can go forward on a sounder basis. So too, while cultural confidence can inspire people in ways that make their lives and the lives of those around them better and more fulfilling, it can also go very wrong when people use it to justify bigotry or inequality. This is why heritage isn't just about appreciation, but about understanding how we can make a better world.”
Even though many sectors, including the heritage sector, are struggling more now than in the past, Wetherell states that “for 60 years now we have consistently seen public support for heritage and there are strong national heritage agencies that keep the issue on the public agenda. The heritage sector has adapted to hard times before and it will again.”
Dr. Wetherell also states that “Alberta has been at the forefront in many respects in the heritage field for the past 40 years, and while the heritage sector is struggling somewhat now, it remains firmly a part of public policy.”
He contends that two of the struggles we face in creating a national focus in the heritage sector have been the English-French divide in Canada and provincial jurisdiction over culture and property. Another struggle is how the heritage sector is seen as a frill and used to promote the ideologies of governments. For example, “The way that the Harper government is refusing to provide adequate funding for various museum and heritage programmes while they are putting money into commemorating the War of 1812 because it advances their ideology is an example of how national policy can become skewed.”
Even in these tough financial times, the future of the heritage sector in Canada looks hopeful and as Wetherell observes: “for the past two decades we have seen convergence in the heritage field--archives, museums, historic sites and art galleries have been amalgamated into single institutions or have worked together for common goals. Through co-operation, efficiency and cost savings can be found. But more importantly, this convergence represents a more sophisticated understanding of how various heritage fields intersect with each other and can give meaning to each other and to the public. This will strengthen the heritage sector and bodes well for the future.”