Standing on the edge of yesterday: A dilemma of oral knowledge in a West Coast family

• Main Author: Chipps-Sawyer, Allis Pakki
• Other Authors: Snively, Gloria
• Language: English; en
• Published: 2007
• Subjects: West Coast; Nitinaht; Kyuquot; Beecher Bay; Diitiidaht; Tradition; First Nations; history; language; ethics; research; ethnobotany; multimedia; interactive; education; Chipps; Short; Patterson; Sawyer; Clo-oose; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::Education::Curriculum planning; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::History::Canada > History; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::Language::Linguistics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/234

ABSTRACT The Nitinaht language and traditional knowledge that was usually transmitted from the older to the younger family members is on the verge of being lost forever. As a member of a Nitinaht family, I have concentrated on finding the Elders in our family, who are spread all over Vancouver Island, in an attempt to try to find a way to preserve this invaluable knowledge and to pass it on to future generations. This information was recorded and will be presented through interactive multimedia, which allows for the transmission of oral information such as stories, photographs, interviews, family trees, history, language and anecdotes. Since modern technology and traditional knowledge seem at the opposite ends of the spectrum, the research also looked into the acceptability of this method of transmission. Much traditional knowledge is confidential, and thus is not part of the written dissertation; however, much information is included without disrespect for our beliefs as ideas for future research. The written documentation includes a history of our family, discussion of the beauty and uniqueness of the Diitidaht (Nitinaht) language, a narration of our last Puku’u basket weaver, and a description of the “Family First” interactive multimedia program.