Janice Marshall
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project
The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project is an ongoing oral history project documenting the history and culture of the commercial fishing industry and other port trades. The project was begun in 2004 in conjunction with the Working Waterfront Festival, an annual, education celebration of commercial fishing culture which takes place in New Bedford, MA. Interviewees have included a wide range of individuals connected to the commercial fishing industry and/or other aspects of the port through work or familial ties. While the majority of interviewees are from the port of New Bedford, the project has also documented numerous individuals from other ports around the country. Folklorist and Festival Director Laura Orleans and Community Scholar/Associate Director Kirsten Bendiksen are Project Leaders. The original recordings reside at the National Council for the Traditional Arts in Maryland with listening copies housed at the Festival's New Bedford office.
Janice Gadaire Fleuriel
Janice Marshall is a lifelong resident of Smith Island, Maryland, a small island located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. Born and raised in a family with a long history of working the water, Marshall's life has been deeply intertwined with the island and its maritime traditions. Her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all watermen, and her father died while working the water. Marshall herself has worked as a crab picker and waterman's wife. She is a passionate advocate for her community and has even been invited to speak to the senate in Washington about issues affecting her island, such as oyster fishing. Marshall is known for her plain-spokenness and dedication to her community.
Scope and Content Note:
This interview with Janice Marshall, conducted by Janice Fleuriel at the Working Waterfront Festival in New Bedford on September 28, 2008, provides a rich and detailed account of life on Smith Island, Maryland. Marshall discusses her personal and family background, the island's sense of isolation and freedom, and the challenges and rewards of living and working in a small, isolated community. She also talks about the island's fishing practices, including crabbing and oystering, and the impact of government regulations on these activities. Marshall shares her views on the importance of understanding different perspectives and the role of technology in connecting the island to the wider world. The interview also touches on topics such as pollution, legislative advocacy, and the island's social and cultural life, including its unique foodways and parody shows.
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