Page 17 - zaglauer1995
P. 17
10
Methodology
To better understand the experiences of the Kawaiisu
over time it is important to be aware of the historical
context and some of the larger historical trends taking
place in California. Technical as well as nontechnical
literature (documents, manuscripts, biographies, etc.) were
researched in order to provide a brief overview of the
history of Indian and white relations of California and of
the Tehachapi area which precedes the presentation of the
interviews. Kawaiisu voices are included in the historical
overview. Knowledge of the local historical context
facilitates a greater understanding of the world of the
Kawaiisu.
According to Glaser and Strauss (1967), the library is
full of "voices begging to be heard" and in the process of
researching, I stumbled upon an interview conducted by an
anthropologist in 1938 with an elderly woman of the
neighboring Tubatulabal tribe who spoke, in her own words,
of her interactions with the Kawaiisu (Voegelin, 1941).
This and other accidental discoveries of interviews are
voices with stories to tell. I was also furnished with
taped interviews of an elderly Kawaiisu couple conducted by
a researcher almost 40 years ago (Klein, 1958). In these
tapes, the couple spoke about their daily lives and
perceptions of spirituality and God, which differed from
their non-Indian neighbors.