The Elder Transcripts

The Elder Transcripts
collection of oral history

The "Elder Transcripts" is a project that collects historically significant knowledge from the elders in the community. Much of the valuable information known by these individuals has not been written down anywhere, and as time passes these individuals pass away. With their passing so goes their knowledge and insight into the community's past. The urgency of this project can not be overstated. Many of the stories about people and events have been lost. However, there are still many stories to be told by many citizens.

Since the 1900's this country has moved from a rural based economy to a more urban centered economy. Many of the young people left their homesteads to pursue employment in the urban centers and lived a different life style from their childhood family structure. It was within this previous family structure that the elders would pass on the stories of their family and community. During the 1970's, senior retirement complexes and special care facilities emerged, separating the elders from the family unit and in many cases breaking the oral passage of family history and community stories to the younger generations. Elders gained the opinion that young people were too busy or just not interested in their stories.

The value of these stories is that they give a person a gauge to judge his or her own life and determine if he or she is truly living a better or worse life today. This knowledge also gives a person a chance to re-evaluate traditions from the past that would be lost if not recorded, and possibly incorporate them into their life.

The "Elder Transcripts" is a collection of stories covering a variety of topics that best encompass our oral history. The stories also include video clips of elders and pictures of individuals, communities and special events. The "Elder Transcripts" is also accessible on compact disk and will be distributed to schools, museums and libraries.

One of the objectives for the "Elder Transcripts" is to function as a teaching tool for local social studies teachers. To make sure the Elder Transcripts fulfill this function, several social studies teachers from Digby Regional High School are acting as consultants on the project. The Municipalitiy hopes this project will inspire people to learn more about themselves as a community and to further preserve their oral past.

The Elder Transcript project is produced through the support of the Municipality of the District of Digby and the Government of Canada Millennium Partnership Fund.