The first time I stumbled across a faded plaque tucked behind the town's laundromat, I couldn't help but wonder: who decides what deserves a place in public memory? That afternoon, my curiosity led me into a rabbit hole—which quickly became a lifeline—through archival silences, whispered family anecdotes, and the steady realisation that much of our supposedly 'shared' history isn't shared at all. So, whose story is still missing? And what does it truly mean to fill these gaps with care—not just adding names to monuments, but rebalancing the entire ledger of local memory?
Auditing the Forgotten: How to Map Local History’s Blind Spots
Every community tells stories about itself—on plaques, in street names, and through public monuments. But whose stories are missing? Conducting a local history audit is a powerful way to uncover the archival silences and challenge dominant narratives that have shaped our sense of place. By systematically reviewing what is celebrated, remembered, or overlooked, communities can begin filling gaps in local history with care and intention.
Meet your Legacy Assistant — Charli Evaheld is here to guide you through your free Evaheld Legacy Vault so you can create, share, and preserve everything that matters — from personal stories and care wishes to legal and financial documents — all in one secure place, for life.
Practical Steps for a Local History Audit
- Read the Plaques: Walk through your town or city and read every historical plaque. Who is named? Who is not?
- Analyze Street Names: Make a list of street names and research their origins. Are they mostly named after men, colonizers, or political figures? Are Indigenous or migrant histories visible?
- Review Monuments and Statues: Count how many public monuments commemorate women, working-class heroes, or people of color. Note the absences.
- Check Public Records: Visit local archives or libraries and look for whose voices are documented—and whose are missing.
Consider the invented story of a community group in a mid-sized city. During their audit, they discovered that while dozens of statues honored male founders and politicians, not a single one recognized the city’s founding women. This realization sparked a campaign to research and celebrate these overlooked figures, showing how a simple audit can lead to restorative action.
Spotting Archival Silences and Institutional Bias
These visible absences are often symptoms of deeper archival silences. Collections audits—systematic reviews of museum or archive holdings—can reveal patterns of exclusion. For example, a checklist might include:
- Representation of different genders, classes, and ethnicities
- Presence of oral histories or community-sourced materials
- Documentation of everyday life, not just major events
Such audits expose not only what is missing, but also how and why these omissions occurred—often reflecting institutional bias or narrow definitions of ‘worthy history.’
Practical Use of Resources
To support these efforts, organizations like the National Museum of Australia offer finding aids and guides for identifying underrepresented stories. The Black Cultural Archives UK provides models for inclusive research and community engagement. For Indigenous perspectives, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is invaluable. The Historical Association UK offer frameworks for building inclusive historical narratives.
‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’ – Marian Wright Edelman
Community participation is crucial. When local groups lead these audits, they expand the definition of history to include the everyday, the marginalized, and the silenced. By challenging dominant narratives and using collections audits to identify missing stories, communities can begin to restore what has been forgotten—and ensure future generations see themselves reflected in the stories we choose to tell.
Listening First: Building Trust and Co-Creating New Narratives
Before any story can be told, it must first be heard. The principle of listening first is foundational in ethical, restorative history work—especially when seeking out voices that have been marginalized or erased. Rather than arriving with a fixed agenda, researchers and historians must create space for communities to speak for themselves. As the community organizing principle reminds us:
‘Nothing about us, without us.’
This approach is not just respectful—it is essential for building trust and ensuring that new narratives are co-created, not imposed.
Ethical Frameworks: Consent, Trauma-Informed Research, and Shared Authority
Institutions such as the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) emphasize the importance of clear ethical frameworks. These frameworks prioritize:
- Permission and consent: Every participant must understand and agree to how their stories will be used.
- Trauma-informed research: Recognizing that oral history interviews may surface painful memories, researchers must be sensitive to emotional well-being and avoid re-traumatization.
- Shared authority: Communities should have a say in how their histories are represented, with opportunities for co-authorship and shared decision-making.
These principles are not just theoretical. For example, AIATSIS provides detailed guidelines on ethical research with Indigenous peoples, ensuring that their perspectives and rights are respected at every stage.
Anecdote: Lessons from a Failed Project
Consider the story of a local historian who set out to document the experiences of migrant women in her town. Eager to fill the gaps in the official record, she conducted interviews and published her findings—without first seeking proper permission or building relationships with the community. The project was met with distrust and criticism. Community members felt their stories had been taken out of context and used for someone else’s gain. The lesson was clear: without consent and collaboration, even well-intentioned projects can do harm.
Oral History Interviews: Tools for Inclusion and Care
Oral history interviews are powerful tools for reconstructing marginalized social movements and everyday lives. However, they require careful attention to power dynamics and research ethics. Training sessions led by community members—such as those offered by the Black Cultural Archives and the Historical Association UK—are becoming more frequent, ensuring that interviewers approach their work with sensitivity and respect. Qualitative data shows that projects with recorded permission and ongoing consent foster greater trust and richer, more authentic stories.
Co-Creation, Not Extraction
True collaboration means turning research participants into active collaborators. This can include:
- Co-designing interview questions
- Reviewing transcripts and drafts together
- Ensuring community benefit, such as shared authorship or compensation
As the National Museum of Australia advocate, building long-term relationships is key. Ethical storytelling is not a one-time transaction, but an ongoing process of mutual respect and shared authority.
Hidden Monuments, Silent Streets: Rebalancing Public Memory
Walk through any city or town and you’ll find the landscape dotted with statues, plaques, and street names. These markers are not just decorations—they are public history in stone and steel, telling us whose stories are valued. But look closer: whose street name is missing? Who is left out of these commemorations? As historian Hilary Mantel reminds us,
‘History is not what happened, but what gets remembered.’
Investigating the Silences: Whose Monument, Whose Memory?
A simple audit of local monuments and street names can reveal deep gaps. In many cities, the ratio of male to female historical figures commemorated is dramatically skewed—often more than 9:1 in favor of men. Indigenous peoples, migrants, working-class heroes, and other marginalized groups are rarely seen. This imbalance is not accidental; it reflects historical silences and power dynamics.
To begin, communities can map their public spaces and ask: Whose monument stands here? Whose story is missing? Resources like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the Black Cultural Archives UK offer blueprints for uncovering and amplifying hidden histories.
Wild Card: Imagine a Future City of Stories
Imagine a future where every street tells the story of a once-erased community. Picture narrative plaques that share the lives of Indigenous women, digital archives accessible by QR code, or pop-up memorials that honor migrant workers. These creative interventions invite public dialogue about historical justice and help rebalance commemorative space.
Tactics for Inclusive Commemoration
- Pop-up Memorials: Temporary installations in public spaces to honor overlooked figures or events.
- Narrative Plaques: Story-rich signs that share counter-narratives and hidden histories.
- Digital Archives: Online collections, like those curated by the National Museum of Australia, that make marginalized stories accessible to all.
- Performative Interventions: Street theatre, guided walks, and public readings that activate memory in place.
Inclusive History in Action
Collaboration is key. Working with national and local heritage bodies—such as History UK—ensures that inclusive commemoration is not just symbolic but transformative. Community engagement strategies, like exhibitions and oral history programs, foster participation and empower those whose voices have been silenced.
Ethical frameworks are essential. Building inclusive historical narratives means prioritizing collaboration, consent, and care. Avoid extractive practices by involving communities in every step—from research to storytelling to the design of commemorative projects.
By challenging who gets recognized in public memory, we move toward a more balanced and truthful public history. Every street, every monument, can become a site of counter-narratives—a living archive of our shared, complex past.
Restorative History in Practice: From Archives to Action
Restorative history is not just about uncovering forgotten stories—it’s about transforming how we collect, share, and care for our shared past. This approach asks: Whose story is missing? And, crucially, how can communities and heritage organizations work together to fill these gaps with care, respect, and authenticity?
Collaborative Projects: Grant-Funded, Grassroots, and Reparative
Across the world, collaborative projects between heritage organizations and local communities are reshaping the landscape of inclusive history. Many of these initiatives are powered by heritage organizations grants designed to support inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) principles. For example, the UK’s National Lottery Heritage Fund and Australia’s Indigenous Languages and Arts Program offer funding for projects that amplify marginalized voices and diversify collections.
These grants catalyze change by enabling grassroots, reparative projects—like oral history workshops with Indigenous elders, or exhibitions co-curated by migrant communities. According to the Historical Association UK, there are now hundreds of community curation events and grant-funded diversity initiatives held annually, each helping to build a more representative local history.
Making Archives Accessible: Diversifying Collections and Community Curation
“Archives are not neutral—they are sites of power.” This insight from Verne Harris reminds us that archives reflect the priorities and prejudices of their creators. Restorative history means actively diversifying collections and inviting community members to participate in the curation process. This might look like:
- Hosting “history harvests” where residents bring family artifacts and stories for documentation
- Partnering with local schools or cultural groups to identify gaps in collections
- Offering translation services to make archives accessible across languages
Ethical frameworks—like those outlined by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies—emphasize the importance of consent, collaboration, and respect for cultural protocols in all research and storytelling efforts.
Bring your family and friends together in one secure place — create your free Evaheld Legacy Vault to share memories, send and receive content requests, and preserve every story safely forever.
Personal Anecdote: Community Translation Marathon
Consider the example of a regional museum that uncovered a box of letters written by early 20th-century migrants. Recognizing the importance of these voices, the museum launched a community translation marathon—inviting descendants, language students, and local volunteers to help translate and interpret the letters. The event not only made the collection accessible to a wider audience, but also fostered a sense of ownership and pride among participants. This is restorative history in action: community engagement transforming collections and research practices.
Spotlight on Model Resources
The National Museum of Australia and the Black Cultural Archives UK stand out as leaders in reparative history and diversifying collections. Both institutions prioritize community engagement, offer resources for inclusive research, and regularly host events that invite public participation in shaping historical narratives.
Restorative history is an ongoing commitment—one that requires heritage organizations, grant-makers, and communities to work together, ensuring that the stories we preserve are as diverse and dynamic as the people who lived them.
Mind the Gap: Ethical Pitfalls and the Future of Telling Untold Histories
In the pursuit of more inclusive commemoration, communities and historians are increasingly called to mind the ethical gaps in how untold histories are researched and shared. As Michel-Rolph Trouillot reminds us,
“The silences of history speak as loudly as its records.”
These silences are not accidental—they are often the result of extractive storytelling, ‘parachute research,’ and the failure to acknowledge or compensate those whose stories are told. Ethical storytelling is not just about filling gaps, but about how we fill them—with care, respect, and a commitment to benefit the community.
One of the most common pitfalls in researching marginalised or omitted narratives is treating stories as resources to be mined. Extractive practices—where researchers collect stories without ongoing relationships or community benefit—can perpetuate harm and mistrust. ‘Parachute research,’ where outsiders briefly enter a community to gather information and then leave, often fails to honour the lived experience and expertise of local people. Too often, contributors are left unacknowledged or uncompensated, their voices used to enrich projects from which they see little return.
To move from theory to practice, ethical storytelling frameworks must be embedded in every stage of research. This includes ongoing consent, transparency, and a trauma-informed approach, especially when working with silenced or vulnerable groups. Trauma-informed research means recognising the emotional impact that revisiting painful histories can have, and prioritising the well-being of participants. Permission and consent are not one-off checkboxes, but ongoing conversations. For guidance, resources like the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) offer practical steps for ethical engagement and research ethics.
Imagine, for a moment, if your local archives could talk. What silences would they break? Would they speak of women’s unpaid labour, Indigenous resistance, migrant journeys, or the struggles of the working class? Would they reveal stories that were omitted because they were uncomfortable, inconvenient, or simply overlooked? Conducting a local history audit—by consulting community members, reviewing archival gaps, and asking whose stories are missing—can help surface these silences. But surfacing them is only the beginning. The future of ethical storytelling lies in building sustained, collaborative relationships with communities, ensuring that the benefit to community is central, and that research is always conducted with permission and consent.
There are now dozens of published ethical storytelling frameworks, yet instances of ethical failures—where communities feel exploited or retraumatised—still occur. The path forward demands humility, transparency, and a willingness to listen. Academic partnerships with community historians, ongoing training in trauma sensitivity, and the centring of community voices are all vital steps. As we look to the future, let us commit to research ethics that honour both the silences and the stories, and to inclusive commemoration that truly fills the gaps with care. For further guidance, consult resources from the Historical Association UK, Black Cultural Archives UK, and the National Museum of Australia.
Future-Proof Your Legacy: Stories, Wishes, and Documents in One Secure Vault
Your life is a rich tapestry of stories, relationships, and intentions. The Evaheld Legacy Vault is the dedicated platform to protect it all, giving your family the priceless gift of clarity, connection, and peace of mind for generations to come.
And you're never on your own. Charli, your dedicated AI Legacy Preservation Assistant, is there to guide you. From the moment you start your Vault, Charli provides personalised support—helping you set up your account, inviting family members, sending content requests, and articulating your stories and care wishes with empathy and clarity.
Take control of your legacy today. Your free Evaheld Legacy Vault is the secure home for your most precious assets—ensuring your family memories, advance care plans, and vital documents are organised, safe, and instantly shareable.
Take control of what matters most — set up your free Evaheld Legacy Vault to keep your stories, care wishes, and essential documents safe, organised, and instantly shareable with loved ones and advisers, for life.
1. Preserve Your Family’s Living Story & History
Transform your memories into a timeless family archive that future generations can truly experience. Within the Evaheld Legacy Vault, you can record videos, capture photos, write reflections, and create Legacy Letters — weaving together the laughter, lessons, and love that define your family’s identity.
Preserve more than moments: build a living digital time capsule where your heritage, traditions, and wisdom are safe, searchable, and shareable. From everyday memories to milestone events, your family’s story will remain a permanent bridge between generations — a place your loved ones can return to whenever they need comfort, connection, or inspiration.
2. Secure Your Care & Health Wishes
Ensure your voice is heard when it matters most. With the Evaheld Legacy Vault, you can create and store a digital Advance Care Directive, record your healthcare preferences, and legally appoint your Medical Decision Maker. Grant secure, instant access to family and clinicians, and link it all to your Emergency QR Access Card for first responders—ensuring your wishes are always honored.
Watch our Founder's Story to learn why we’re so passionate about Legacy Preservation and Advance Care Planning
3. Protect Your Essential Documents with Bank-Grade Security
Consolidate your critical records in one bank-grade encrypted vault. Safely store your will, power of attorney, insurance policies, and financial documents with precise permission controls. Never worry about lost, damaged, or inaccessible paperwork again. Your documents are organised and available only to those you explicitly trust.
4. Strengthen Family Bonds with Your Living, Collaborative Legacy
Transform your Legacy Vault from a static archive into a living, breathing family hub that actively deepens connections across generations and distances. This is where your legacy is built together, in real-time.
Let Charli, Your AI Legacy Preservation Assistant, Be Your Collaboration Catalyst. Charli proactively helps your family connect and create. She can suggest content requests, prompt family members to share specific memories, and help organise contributions—making it effortless for everyone to participate in building your shared story.
Create private or shared Family Rooms to connect with loved ones, carers, and trusted advisors. Within these Rooms, you can:
- Share precious memories as they happen, making your Vault a dynamic, growing timeline of your family's life.
- Send and fulfill collaborative content requests, ensuring you preserve exactly what your family cherishes most—from that funny holiday story to cherished family recipes.
- Schedule future-dated messages for birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones, allowing you to offer wisdom, love, and connection for years to come.
Evaheld is more than a digital vault; it's your family's private collaboration platform for intergenerational storytelling. It’s the simplest way to ensure every voice is heard, every memory is captured, and every bond is strengthened—today and for the future.
Start Your Free Evaheld Legacy Vault in Minutes
Join thousands of families who have found peace of mind. Setting up your free, permanent Vault is quick and simple.
- Safeguard your story for future generations.
- Ensure your care wishes are respected.
- Shield essential documents from loss and ensure instant, secure access.
The Best 3 Resources to Get Started
- Create Your Legacy Statement in 10 Minutes Flat
- Prevent Family Conflict with Our Legacy Kit
- Get Inspired: See Powerful Ethical Will Examples
Our Commitment: No One Left Behind
Evaheld believes that every story deserves to be protected, without exception. Our "Connection is All We Have" Hardship Program ensures that financial circumstances are never a barrier to legacy preservation and advance care planning.
If you are facing financial hardship, contact our team to learn how we can provide a free Vault. We are here to help you secure what matters most.
Learn More About Evaheld’s Hardship Support Program
Share this post