Oral Historian

Oral Historians will interview and document the oral histories of survivors of Indian Boarding Schools in the United States. Interviews are currently scheduled through June 2026 with potential, but no guaranteed, follow-up work to continue through December 2026. This unprecedented collection of recorded experiences of boarding school survivors is part of a large project of the National Native American Board School Healing Coalition (NABS). Oral Historians will be supervised by and provided guidance by the Oral History Project Co-Directors.

What You Bring

Must-Haves ● Experience working with multiple ages and generations, especially engaging elders in community and conversation. ● Knowledge of the Native American and Alaska Native boarding school history, legacy, and impacts. ● Familiarity with and work experience in Native American communities. ● Background conducting oral history interviewing and qualitative research, including knowledge of professional practices and ethics. ● Strong emotional regulation - the stories collected range in levels of privacy, sensitivity, trauma, graphic and potentially trauma inducing content. ● Deep respect for individuals and groups and their stories. ● Ability to work with a diverse team and work independently, balancing priorities and meeting deadlines. ● Experience working remotely with proven time management skills. ● Ability to travel to all the scheduled sites during the scheduled interview times.

Nice-to-Haves ● Background in one or more of the following areas: social work, therapy, rehabilitation, recruitment, library science, memory studies or journalism. ● Knowledge of Indigenous research best practices and ethics. ● Familiarity with trauma-informed care, healing practices. ● Experience with Salesforce.

WORK ENVIRONMENT ● This position is approximately 100-120 hours a month with the OHP travel being the majority of the work. ● Heavy computer use. ● 1 week per month on site /on location, and remaining time remote. Individual hotel rooms provided for lodging and travel provided along with a meal per-diem. ● Travel to 5 states. ● Intensive days with two to three interviews scheduled each day during the travel week on site.

What You Will Do

● Travel to a new state monthly, staying on site for one week to conduct oral histories of survivors of Indian boarding schools, working remotely the remainder of the month. ● Review all consent forms and required paperwork with interviewees to ensure full understanding and voluntary participation. ● Work closely with project team members to reach out to and identify survivors and invite them to share their experiences. ● Conduct pre-interviews and post-interview follow up. ● Speak with survivors by phone and in person. ● Create respectful and safe interview environments. ● Explain the goals of the project with project participants. ● Collaborate with team members to process content, compile and preserve information. ● Ensure all protocols are followed. ● Participate in project evaluation to improve processes and outcomes.

$27-$33/Hour, approx. 100-120 hours a month