An Official History: Commemorating “the 1994 Genocide of the Tutsi”

Abstract

The fieldwork underlying this book began at Rwanda’s state-funded genocide memorials. This was a calculated decision: as a foreigner to Rwanda, it was important that I learn how to broach the subject of the genocide and related mass atrocities in a culturally sensitive manner, and probe Rwandan civilians’ life histories without inflicting undue emotional distress upon those research participants who might find it difficult to revisit their pasts. The state-funded genocide memorials seemed like an ideal place to begin gaining this cultural and political fluency, as their exhibits had been carefully designed to educate people about the events surrounding the genocide, and their staff had been formally trained in how to address the often insensitive or misinformed questions and expectations of foreigners.