Oral Histories
At the Indigenous Chicago project’s initial community meeting in January 2020, conducting new oral histories was one of the first priorities that community members identified. From 1982-1984, Native community members collaborated with the Newberry Library to record twenty three oral interviews with other members of the Chicago Native community. However, no such oral history project had been completed since then, and community members were committed to growing a community archiving practice in which their voices were represented in archival collections.
With the support of the Oral History subcommittee, we went through multiple rounds of revisions on consent forms that were most appropriate for community needs, and identified a variety of methods for conducting oral interviews. Many oral histories were conducted at “Oral History Days” co-hosted by the American Indian Health Services of Chicago; others were conducted at powwow booths, in people’s homes, at their workplaces, and at the Newberry. Interviews were conducted by both Newberry staff and by community members.
As of September 2024, we have conducted interviews with more than 50 individuals, but we are still in the process of transcribing, and receiving interviewee approval for those transcriptions. We will continue to add the recordings to this page as they are processed. This project is also ongoing. If you are a member of the Chicago American Indian Community and would like to be interviewed, please contact us.
Interview with Sharon Skolnick (Okee-Chee), Naomi Skolnick, Michael Yazzie, and Lyla Yazzie
Date: 2/18/2024
Location: Yazzie/Skolnick household in Chicago, Illinois
Interviewer: Haku Blaisdell
Editor: Jacqueline Lopez
(Audio file will be uploaded soon)
Interview with Carla Guerue
Date: 2/27/2024
Location: American Indian Association of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois
Interviewer: Melanie Cloud
Editor: Rene Ramirez
(Audio file will be uploaded soon)
Additional Oral History Resources
Interview with William (Bill) Smith
This documentary covers the life of Bill Smith, who tells his story of his time in the military and how it has affected his life. Inspired by his father’s military service, Bill joined the United States Marines. From growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation to helicoptering through the Philippines, Bill Smith lived a life of pride.
Courtesy of Louis Vasseur and the Harlem Veterans Project
Content Warning: This interview contains graphic descriptions of violence experienced in a Native boarding school. For more information about these schools and for resources around counseling and healing, we encourage you to visit the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition’s website.