Two Lives: creating a limited podcast series in partnership with the Okanagan Historical Society

Abstract

Two Lives is a limited podcast series created in partnership with the Okanagan Historical Society (OHS), a longstanding amateur group in British Columbia, Canada. It aims to celebrate the society’s centenary and publicise their archive, while presenting local settler and Indigenous history in a different medium, to raise community engagement and a sense of communal belonging.  As an accompaniment to the five podcast episodes, this article explains the background of the practice-based project and the structure of its creation. The OHS has published reports since its beginning in 1925, and annually since 1936, comprised of variously authored articles about the history, geography, and people of the area, which are available in print via the society and in digitised form via hosting partners. Data on online searching shows most users are interested in the 1800s, the earliest settler period. The project thus sought to curate stories from this era as bases for the creation of absorbing 20-30-minute narratives about individuals, as per research on what characteristics make appealing historical podcasts.  In support of Canada’s movement towards Truth and Reconciliation, each episode is a balanced portrait of two people, one Syilx Okanagan or Métis and one settler, whose paths crossed in some way. The episodes use present-tense narration and volunteer community voice actors, with care to have Indigenous parts voiced by First Nations people wherever possible. The series is designed to engage the community both through participation and as an audience, as per OHS aims. Using established theories of best practice in promotion of local history and archives, including community archives, the project seeks to make the OHS materials accessible to a broader audience. It also guides the OHS beyond collection of stories towards a focus on outreach and community-building. Available via various sites, the project creates a lasting, accessible digital resource for the people of the Okanagan area.