Oral Historian Recruitment

Indigenous Archive Project
for the Eastern Shore of Maryland

This is a four-month, contractual position as a professional oral historian researcher with the Indigenous Records Program at the Maryland State Archives as part of a project funded by a grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority. The position works with the Senior Director and Director of Special Collections and engages with Indigenous communities in the central and lower Eastern Shore of Maryland on the Archives’ initiative to preserve the oral traditions of Native Peoples.

This position will support the Indigenous records study by researching and recording audio interviews and publishing results on the Archives' website, with in-person and virtual presentations, for exhibitions and in other media as needed. The selected candidate will schedule in-person interviews with Elders and Traditional Knowledge experts in the communities, and will develop the topics to be covered in consultation with the speakers who they will interview.

Candidates with personal and academic experiences with any of the following fields are encouraged to apply: social and cultural studies, Public History, Indigenous Studies, Traditional Knowledge, Maryland History, Anthropology, Ethnographic Studies or Journalism.

Primary Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the oral historian will be in the Maryland State Archives’ Indigenous Records Program. The position will:

• Conduct and record in-person interviews with community Elders and Knowledge-Keepers.
• Identify potential interviewees and set up interview logistics.
• Research appropriate background information in preparation for interviews.
• Collect, organize, and maintain recordings and collection documentation (consent forms, copyright agreements, metadata spreadsheets) from all interview narrators.
• Create interview indexes and summaries.
• Collect any accompanying documentation such as photographs and negotiate transfer to the Archives.

Rate:  $22.26/hour

Desired or Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with conducting and recording audio oral history interviews.
• Experience with working with or for cultural or historical organizations.
• Experience within or personal/professional connections to Indigenous communities.

Further Information

» We thank our Veterans for their service to our country and welcome them to apply.
» People with disabilities and bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.
» As an equal opportunity employer, Maryland is committed to recruitment, retaining and promoting employees who are reflective of the State's diversity.

Background

The Maryland State Archives in Annapolis, Maryland, is walking distance from the Annapolis historic district. The Archives is an independent agency within the Maryland State government with a number of responsibilities, first and foremost is to be the central depository for government records of permanent value. The Special Collections Department supervises the care, preservation, accessioning, and description of non-state agency generated records of historical or cultural significance, which include personal letters, diaries, organizational records, newspapers, photographs, maps, and documents.

The Maryland State Archives has outreach programs to support communities’ access to its records. The Special Collections Department team created the Indigenous Records Program to address the difficulties community members and other researchers have faced in finding historical records relating to Native Peoples. This phase of the project focuses on current and historic Indigenous Peoples living on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The Indigenous Archive Project for the Eastern Shore of Maryland was awarded a FY2023 grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority through the Beach to Bay and Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Areas. The project seeks to expand upon the records and resources provided on the Maryland State Archives’ Mayis Indigenous Records website to offer space for present-day communities to speak about their cultures and history from their own perspectives. The Mayis website is an educational pathway for teachers and historians, as well as a user-friendly experience for youth and adults to learn about their heritage.

Selection Process

Please make sure that you provide sufficient information on your application to show that you meet the qualifications for this position. All information concerning your qualifications must be submitted by the closing date. We will not consider information submitted after this date. Additional questions? Email Maria.Day@maryland.gov.

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The Maryland State Archives is grateful for the grant support of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, the Heart of Chesapeake Country Heritage Area, and Beach to Bay Heritage Area.

This project has been financed in part with State funds from the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. However, project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.

© Copyright March 03, 2023 Maryland State Archives