The Distanced Observer
The material wreckage required to facilitate detached observers:
A mounted phone, a large table-stand microphone and two go-pro cameras, of which one mounted on a structure that was built over the dining table to film the mapping exercise that was part of the interview, were required to respectively live-stream the go-pro recording, a conference call and to also record high-quality audio. Other materials required for these interviews included a large paper map of Southampton Island, an acetate sheet and waterproof markers in front of the interviewee, and a piece of paper to mark specific timestamps in front of the interviewer. This was in addition to another phone mounted on a tripod elsewhere in the room to record an offline version of the interview. Although “This new practice evolved from an expressed desire of the community, adapting available technology, revised ethics approval from Queen’s University, and agreement on Covid-19 protocols that exceed local requirements” (LSARP report, March 2021), its material realities did not function in a satisfactory way when executed.
Continue with Cut 3 to pick up the thread after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.