African Oral History Project

Audio Transcript

This training will help you understand the different steps you will take to preserve the oral history of those you come in contact with. Select each of the steps below to learn more.

1. Village entry. When you first arrive in a village, you will need to introduce yourself and meet with the king or chief to explain the work that you would like to do. This is called “village entry.” Introducing yourself and sharing your purpose up front shows respect for the village leaders and establishes a way for success in this work. Depending on the circumstances and culture, the village entry may happen in one or two steps. In the one-step process, you would meet with village representatives or leaders on the first visit. In the two-step process, which is more common, you would request an appointment to meet formally with village leaders at a later time. Most leaders will welcome you and be grateful that you are interested in preserving their oral traditions.
2. Leaders’ meeting. Following the village entry, you will be introduced to the clan heads or clan elders, who can help you find people with the deepest knowledge of the clan or tribe. Ask those you meet how many generations are part of their oral tradition. FamilySearch would like you to speak with those who can share 5 or more generations. It is not unusual in many parts of Africa to meet people who can recite more than 10 generations of family history!
3. Interviews. Before you start an interview, be sure the recording device is on, and then state your name, who you are interviewing, your location, the date, and the language in which you are conducting the interview. Then begin the interview. Your primary job in the interview is to collect the family or tribe’s history and genealogy. These are closely connected but not the same. The history includes how the family arrived where they are and why. The family history and genealogy include the names, dates, places, relationships, and stories of individuals from past generations. As you conduct the interview, you should ask open-ended questions. This means your questions should not be answered with a “yes,” a “no,” or some other one-word answer. Instead, the questions invite the person to think and share freely. For example, if you ask, “Who is your father?” you would probably receive a one-word name for an answer. But if you say, “Tell me about your father,” you would likely receive not only birth dates and death dates but also rich details, stories, and characteristics of the father. After asking such questions, pay attention to the answers so you can help people explore their memories more fully.
4. Authorization Form. The documents help the people being interviewed understand what will be done with the information they share with you. These documents are an important part of the collection process. Without these, FamilySearch cannot share anything that you have collected.
5. Audio recording. You will make an audio recording of each interview you conduct. This audio recording can help you recall the names shared during the interview. FamilySearch uses this information in reviewing the work that you have done. The recording will also be available to people researching their family history. You may use different tools to make the recording, but the key is to capture the best recording that you can. One method that works well is to have the person being interviewed wear a microphone. The microphone can be connected to a mobile phone or a recording device as long as it does not distract from the interview.
6. Photos. A photo helps the process in many ways. Take a photo of the primary person being interviewed—the person who signed the agreement. During the interview, others may join in the conversation. By including these people in a photo, you help establish credibility and provide a connected experience. Since some people who will access the history and genealogy may not connect with where the interview was conducted, you should also take a photo of the environment. This could be a home, a village, or the surrounding area. All photos should include a GPS tag so that people can digitally see where the interview was held.
7. Legacy Family Tree. The information you collect on paper will be transferred to a family history software program called Legacy Family Tree. This tool becomes easier to use with time. Once the information has been made available digitally, it can be printed as well as submitted to FamilySearch for processing.
8. Professional ethics. The Interviews you conduct should be done in an environment that is supported by honesty. Do not participate in any corrupt business practices. Avoid interviewing people in areas where you would be at high risk for physical danger.