Dr. Katrina Srigley, Keynote Speaker at Australian Oral History Association Conference, October 10 - 13, 2019

"Gaa Bi Kidwaad Maa Nbisiing/The Stories of Nbisiing Nishnaabeg: relational storytelling and story listening on Nbisiing Nishnaabeg territory"

As feminist oral historians have well established, the act of sharing stories (challenging or celebratory) always involves degrees of intimacy, but what does this mean for a non-Indigenous historian listening to and learning from oral histories on Nbisiing Nishnaabeg territory? In answering this question, I will speak about the unlearning and learning journey that has given way to Gaa Bi Kidwaad Maa Nbisiing, a historical project developed in partnership with Nipissing First Nation, and reflect on the relational historical framework that has developed through our work. In interesting ways relational storytelling and story listening is rooted in Nishnaabeg ways of knowing and being, resonates with and challenges my training as a feminist oral historian, and has a great deal to teach us about how to collectively understand the past, challenge the present, and contribute to the future.

https://www.oralhistoryaustralia.org.au/files/2019_oha_conference_abstracts.pdf