Invite Elders into the process from the beginning.

Consider inviting some interested Elders to speak to your group near the beginning of your project to discuss social relationships between Elders and younger people. Talk to them about traditional relationships and interactions, and about issues related to interviewing. Ask them to help you decide on the best approach to your project.

Choose suitable interviewers.

There will be plenty of jobs for everyone in your project. Some people will be interested in being an interviewer and some will not. Interviewers should understand their role and be sensitive to the Elders’ needs.

Choose interviewers who will be able to:

• feel comfortable and relaxed;
• visit with the Elder for a while before the formal interview starts;
• be a good listener;
• be patient and be able to read Elders’ body language;
• be sensitive to the storytellers’ needs;
• allow for pauses and silences;
• avoid interrupting when the Elder is speaking;
• speak Inuktitut or Inuinnaqtun fluently;
• look interested, pay attention and get involved in the stories;
• be sympathetic and respectful;
• be responsive, but quietly – so the interviewer’s comments don’t dominate the recording;
• be prepared and organized with equipment, notebooks, etc.;
• ask for clarifications in a tactful manner, if necessary;
• notice when the Elder is getting tired and suggest taking a break or continuing another day; and
• wind down after the interview by chatting with the Elder.

Talk about whether you can pay the storyteller.

If you have funding for your project which includes honoraria for Elders, you will be able to give the storyteller some money for participating in your project. If you don’t have this option, your group may want to discuss other forms of compensation: gifts of meat or other country food, store-bought food or helpful services for the Elders in their homes or in the community.

Plan a project that matches your group’s skills and resources.

Elders’ knowledge is treasured, so any information collected from them should be treated with care. Not all students enjoy, or are interested in, the tasks involved with collecting oral histories. Interviewing, recording, transcribing and cataloguing are jobs that take a lot of time and care. A lot of patience and attention to detail are important.