Oh no

Yesterday, I was supposed to do my first interview again, but in the morning, I got a call from my guest’s wife saying that he was in the hospital and obviously would not be able to make the interview. 

As a Secwepemc elder, my guest is one of the holders of his community’s stories and language. He’s the last speaker in his community of his language who learned it through growing up with it. His wife said that he’ll likely be fine but that he’s had some scares with his heart in the past. It leaves me feeling like he’ll be OK but it made me realized just how fragile some of this knowledge is.

Because traditions are still carried on orally in many FirstNations communities, it means that those stories and histories live within the people who hold them. This means that when those people pass away, those stories may go too. I’m glad that I’ll have the opportunity to hear some of the history and personal experiences of some First Nations people who experienced some of the historical events and policies that I’m reading about.

It takes time to negotiate and arrange for interviews with First Nations people. It seems to me that I need to approach it with more tact and patience than I would if I was trying to arrange an interview with someone of European descent. There is a different approach to time that is important to recognize. Even though I may want to do my interviews quickly so that the knowledge is not lost, it is better to approach my guests with patience and with cultural sensitivity.

I hope that everything works out with my guest and that he comes home safe. I really do want to hear his stories.