TOWARDS A PARTICIPATORY HISTORICAL CULTURE: SOME PERSONAL THOUGHTS.

This paper is a personal reflection on the "history wars" that have erupted in Canada and elsewhere in recent years. Drawing on the scholarship on how Canadians engage the past to establish agency and identity, it uses the Canada War Museum's controversy over Bomber Command to suggest ways of mediating the efforts of stakeholders to exert control over the official narrative of Canada's past. Recent heated debates over historical interpretations at museums in Canada have highlighted competing versions of events, and challenged Canadians to develop processes by which controversies can be mediated. It is argued here that rather than constitute an impediment to historical understanding, controversies about the past can be viewed as opportunities to navigate the complexities of historical events, fostering a deeper understanding of historical processes by all parties. What is missing is a mechanism whereby various stakeholders can work through their differing perspectives before resorting to costly court cases or appealing to parliamentary committees. This paper is based on my experiences with historical controversies during my tenure as President of the Canadian Historical Association, 2005-2007. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]