Living Biographies

In the fall of 1999 I began work on a project called Living Biographies that is headed by the local Eureka PBS station KEET-TV. I facilitated the interviews of indigenous elders from the Wiyot, Hupa, Yurok, Tolowa, Bear River, and Karuk cultures. From 1999 through 2001 I interviewed more than 35 elders from these diverse communities. The intent of the project was to respectfully record anything the elders wanted to share. The tapes are copyrighted to the elder and no part of it may be used without their permission. Many of these elders are from the generation that was raised by grandparents who were born and raised in the time before white contact. Several elders know their indigenous languages and songs. Many wanted to share their memories so that future generations can benefit. We recorded them using current technology while adhering to cultural considerations. Several Native youth from these tribes were taught how to run the high-quality PBS equipment during the interviews. This helped them learn from their elders and contribute to the recording process.

If an elder chose, I would then direct a half-hour program based on their interview that would then air on KEET-TV. They shared stories in their language, knowledge of history, cultural knowledge, knowledge of the local rivers, and much, much more. Before using or airing any part of their interview I always make sure to show it to the elder to receive their approval. I often invited their family to view it as well. Our Indian elders deserve this respect. Just because you share something that doesn’t mean you are giving it away. However, universities, anthropologists, photographers, historians, and others often go into indigenous communities and record what they can, then leave. Many of these elders have shared instances where they’ve been mistreated.

In order to create a positive experience for the elders and their families it was essential to have a Native person interview, edit, and direct any program based on their words. We provided the elder with a free copy of their entire interview and at least one free copy of their TV program if they had one. Several Native youth who ran the equipment during the interviews were listed as the videographers in the program credits. I believe it is time for Native people to be the ones to tell their own histories and decide what to share of their culture, when to share it, and how to share it. That is the intent of this work. Non-native people can also help by training and encouraging Native people in videography, journalism, and directing. Feel free to email me at ova@humboldt1.com if you have any questions about the programs, or where to get copies of them. To date, I’ve directed 15 programs, and this section of the Original Voices website shows a glimpse of several of the elders I’ve been privileged to work with. I have asked their permission to use their pictures on this site. In the near future I will be posting more details of how we copyright the interviews to the elders, future plans for more interviews, and more pictures of our precious elders. – Chag Lowry