Presented by Jo Oliver Wollongong City Libraries 22 October 2019 as part of #widerlocalstudies vidoeconference

1. Oral History
Interviews with
Aboriginal People

2. Protocols for interviewing Aboriginal people
• Seek advice from local elders and communities
• Check national guidelines-
http://aiatsis.gov.au/research/ethical-research/guidelines-
ethical-research-australian-indigenous-studies
• Check your council’s policies and documents
• Work with other council staff eg. Community
development workers with Aboriginal communities,
Aboriginal reference groups
• Check appropriate titles eg. Aunty and Uncle may only be
for people in relationship – ask first
• You can’t say that!
https://documents.uow.edu.au/content/groups/public/@
web/@wic/documents/doc/uow257281.pdf

3. Building trust
• Arrange face to face meetings by phone or
through contacts rather than email
• Meet on their space, in their timeframe
• Avoid forms until relationship is established, -
some people have had negative experiences
with authorities and government
organisations & presumed literacy levels

4. The interview
• Be sensitive and guided by participants as to seating position
and eye contact
• Check out questions first regarding content eg. would you be
happy to talk about your childhood (may take place before the
interview)
• Stories and oral communication fit with Aboriginal culture

5. https://illawarrastories.com.au/wollongon
gstories/billycooley/
A proud tradition to current experience

6. An interview withdrawn
• Don’t assume Aboriginal communities are
homogenous or in agreement with each other
• There are politics between and within community
groups eg. land right claims
• Be aware and stay neutral – we want everyone’s
stories

7. A family interview
• Aunty Lorraine painted as we talked
• Narelle and Donna too shy to be interviewed but later
joined the conversation
• A grandson visited
• Much laughter and sense of connection
Jo Oliver
Wollongong City Libraries 2019
https://illawarrastories.com.au/war
rawongstories/aunty-lorraine-
brown/