Handbook for Conducting Oral History Interviews Related to Tribal and Indian Participation in the Construction, Operation and Cleanup of the Nuclear Weapons Complex
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HANDBOOK FOR CONDUCTING ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS RELATED TO TRIBAL AND INDIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND CLEANUP OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR INDIGENOUS RESOURCE MANAGEMENT 444 SOUTH EMERSON STREET DENVER, COLORADO 80209 U.S.A (303) 733-0481 HANDBOOK FOR CONDUCTING ORAL HISTORY INTERVIEWS RELATED TO TRIBAL AND INDIAN PARTICIPATION IN THE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION AND CLEANUP OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS COMPLEX TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE. WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY? 3 CHAPTER TWO. EQUIPMENT 5 CHAPTER THREE. THE INTERVIEW 8 CHAPTER FOUR. ETHICAL AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS 13 CHAPTER FIVE. ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY 18 2 CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY? Indian people tell stories. The storyteller holds an honored place in tribal societies. Our past, our homeland, glorious and brave deeds, and genealogies are all passed from one generation to another through our stories. The modern oral history is not entirely dissimilar to the oral traditions of indigenous societies. However, there are some differences. Good oral history isn't just taping someone talking; it takes conscientious research and careful planning at several levels: in deciding the project focus; in selecting persons to be interviewed; in developing appropriate questions to be asked; and in learning to become a good interviewer. Oral history interviews are distinguished from other types of storytelling and taped interviews in that the purpose is to create a historical record for the future. Ideally, the contents are copyrighted and the rights belong to the speaker (interviewer and interviewee). Oral history interviews are designed to create a record where none previously existed, as well as to bring different perspectives to the existing information found in written histories. The oral historian finds out what it was like to participate in a particular event or how the interviewee felt about his or her experiences. One might want to know who else was there and what they did. The oral historian will review all written materials to establish what information is already a matter of record. Then the oral historian will formulate questions designed to uncover information that is not recorded. Often interviewees will share information about events or situations from the past with a view to clarifying the record or shedding light on what happened. Through the oral history interview, it is often possible to find out why something happened or to obtain a fuller picture of what actually happened. 3 Oral history interviews, if done correctly, will be viewed by historians in the future as another primary source in the same category as letters, memoirs, diaries and journals. They are the interviewee's recollection of an event or an experience. Oral history interviews investigate interactions, relationships, dynamics, and contexts. Among the challenges inherent in gathering oral histories and interpreting them are building trust and rapport, balancing multiple perspectives, negotiating interview- interviewee roles, managing personal bias, and maintaining the ethics of the research partnership. Oral historians seek broad-based information beyond their immediate research needs and arrange ways of sharing that information with the larger community by depositing the tapes or transcripts and related materials in archives, libraries, and other special collections and by producing publications and programs aimed toward disseminating the information gained in the oral history partnership. 4 CHAPTER TWO EQUIPMENT The interviews you conduct and the stories that result are the culmination of hours of research and study. These stories will become part of the traditions of the families and tribes involved. Don't let a poor quality recording ruin all your hard work. A durable, dependable tape-recorder and a good microphone are essential to high-quality oral history interviewing. Below are some features to look for in the equipment you plan to use. If you cannot afford to purchase suitable equipment, try renting or borrowing it. Local schools, libraries, or historical societies may be willing to loan equipment in exchange for a copy of your interview tapes. Whatever equipment you use, know it well. Practice, experiment, test and play with it until its operation is second-nature to you. TAPE RECORDER Most oral history projects use a light, durable standard cassette recorder. Recorders should have the following features: 1. Digital tape counter. 2. Battery indicator/recorder level. 3. Jack for external microphone. Do not use the tape recorder’s internal microphone as it will pick up all of the equipment’s operating sounds. 4. Be sure it can be used with batteries or wall-outlet electricity--use electricity from a wall outlet whenever possible, as it is more reliable than batteries. TAPES Use only good quality C-60 (thirty minutes per side) cassette tapes, as the C-90 and C- 120 cassettes are thinner and tend to stretch and bleed, as well as break more easily. You 5 may want to test the tape with the equipment you will be using to ensure that you are getting the best possible quality before purchasing all the tape you require. Higher priced music quality tape will be overkill, but the generic, bargain bin variety will probably not have the required sound and archival quality your work deserves. Check to make sure tapes have screw casings (tiny screws holding the tape together, not heat sealed). Other factors to consider include: 1. Use the same brand of tape when duplicating cassettes. All C-60 cassettes are not the same length; buy tapes for duplicates at the same time you buy tape for original interviews. 2. To ensure that your tapes have a future, copy them onto 1.5 mil Mylar or polyester-backed, open-reel recording tape. This tape is magnetically stable and will last indefinitely. 3. Be sure to punch out the tabs on the back of the cassette after the interview so that the tape cannot accidentally be erased. 4. Store tapes in a cool, dry place. Be sure to keep them free of dust. Rewind them annually. MICROPHONE An external microphone, not encased in the recorder itself, provides the least "hiss" or background noise or machine noise from within the recorder. Microphones mounted on stands or Lavaliere microphones provide the best isolation from ambient sounds. Table microphones should be placed close to the interviewee. Table microphones can pick up sounds of writing, paper shuffling and finger tapping. Always test microphones in advance to be sure that the interviewee and interviewer can be clearly heard. Some interviewers use earphones to monitor what is being recorded. Higher quality microphones require their own batteries. These will need periodic testing and replacement. Excellent recordings can also be obtained with Lavaliere microphones for each participant, joined by an inexpensive Y-cord adapter. 6 PROCESSING THE TAPES 1. Make sure tabs of cassettes are punched out to guard against accidental erasure. 2. As soon as the interview is over, label the tape(s): Include the names of the interviewee and interviewer, date and place of interview, project title (or institution), and numbered sequence of tapes. 3. If at all possible, duplicate your tape(s) promptly. The original tape(s) can then be stored, reducing the danger of accidental erasure or damage. 4. Make sure all the necessary forms accompany the interview. An administrative checklist of some kind should be used. 7 CHAPTER THREE THE INTERVIEW Conducting an oral history interview is more than merely asking the interviewee to talk about himself or herself. The interviewers should know as much as possible about the person being interviewed and the subject of the oral history session. Select and train personnel for the oral history project. A list of interview questions should be developed to assist the interviewer in the session. Start the questions with "Who, When, Where, How, and Why." Do not ask questions that require just a simple "yes" or "no" answer. Keep the list brief and be flexible enough to add other questions or delete prepared ones during the interview. The following list of questions is provided to assist the interviewer develop other questions. These questions should never be read directly off the list. QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE BEFORE THE MANHATTAN PROJECT Where were you living when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor? With whom were you living? Parents? Brothers and sisters? How many? Names? Ages? Where are they living now? Spouse? Children? How many? Names? Ages? Where are they living now? Do you have photographs of your brothers and sisters when they were young? Did your parents work? What kind of work did they do? Where did they work? How did they commute to work? Where did they buy the gasoline, tires and oil for the car? Did your parents tell you about rationing? What did they say about rationing? What did your parents tell you about the work they did? Do you have any photographs of your family at work? Can you tell me a little bit about the house you lived in? How did your family cook their meals? How did your family bake? How was it constructed? Wood? Adobe? Did it have electricity? Running water? How did you get water? What were your responsibilities for cooking? Gardening? Did your family have a garden? How big was it? What did your family grow in the garden? Who worked the garden? How did your family work the garden? How was it irrigated? What was done with the garden produce? Eat? Trade or barter? Sell? 8 What was your favorite food? What did you eat at breakfast? Lunch? Dinner?