"History is a dialogue between the living and the dead. An historical perspective is shaped by the conversation we have with the parts of the past that make sense to us. These events are meaningful to us because of the impact they continue to have on current affairs.
The outcome of this discussion about our past informs the present. That means that by seeing the past behind the facade of current events we become more connected to our culture and that natural world from which it is repeatedly drawn. By our talking to one another, each of us participates in creating another means by which the past remains alive in the present to influence our future."

J Siry, 1990