Community Oral History

This past Saturday, we had a lively group of 17 participants gather at Christenson Village for a workshop with Prof. Helene Demers on the subject of oral history. There is never enough time in the day to cover it all but we touched on the basics and everyone received the revised copy of the Community Oral History Kit created by the Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives. Professor Demers drew from her work over the years to highlight the importance of sensitivity, compassionate listening, and ethics. The participants came from various backgrounds – residents and staff at Christenson, Quest University students, Canada World Youth participants, friends of the Museum, and interested community members; they ranged in age from 20’ish to 80’ish; and there was a nice balance of both men and women. Everyone was engaged, enthusiastic, and willing to share their own stories. By the end of the day, there was a very real sense of a collective group and a wonderful energy that comes from that. Thanks to all the participants, to Professor Helene Demers and to Bruce Devereux and the folks at Christenson Village.

 L to R: Kimiko Hawkes(SCMA), Qaqamba Koyana (Canada World Youth), Prof. Helene Demers (VIU), Selena Boan (Canada World Youth)



Bruce   

Jennifer and Jim

Rebecca, Gordon, and Jeanie

Jennifer

Sandra and John

Joanne and Caroline

Lynn and Maynard

Gordon and Jeanie

Qaqamba

I am in the midst of planning a follow-up recording session here at the museum where folks can familiarize themselves with the equipment, practice their interviewing skills, and record a session or "conversation" with a partner. Participants will receive a copy of their recording to take home. The idea is based on the StoryCorps concept:

“The heart of StoryCorps is the conversation between two people who are important to each other: a son asking his mother about her childhood, an immigrant telling his friend about coming to America, or a couple reminiscing on their 50th wedding anniversary. By helping people to connect, and to talk about the questions that matter, the StoryCorps experience is powerful and sometimes even life-changing.”

Check out http://storycorps.org for more info.

Bruce Devereux and a few others in the community have expressed interest in organizing this event and providing some of the necessary equipment. I hope to have this happen by mid-November so if you’re interested in booking a recording session, would like to help out, or just want some more information, please get in touch.