TY - JOUR
T1 - First Nations interpreters cannot be neutral and should not be invisible
AU - Rusho, Dima
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 University of Western Sydneys. All rights reserved.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - In this article I explore the challenges faced by First Nations language interpreters working in Australia's justice system in relation to the explicit requirement of impartiality/neutrality and the implicit expectation of invisibility in their day-to-day work. I interrogate the notion of (in)visibility and explore its potential to contribute to the marginalisation of First Nations interpreters in legal settings and beyond. In particular, I focus on the relationship between impartiality/neutrality and the visibility of First Nations interpreters. I argue that while impartiality is a stance that can be consciously adopted by professional interpreters, complete neutrality is an impossible and unfair requirement given how neutrality can be impacted by kinship relations, historical racial politics, community expectations, and the power differentials inherent to the justice system. The data analysed are drawn from fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2019 in the Katherine region of Australia's Northern Territory. The data include field notes, court observations, as well as interviews with First Nations language interpreters, legal professionals, and judicial officers.
AB - In this article I explore the challenges faced by First Nations language interpreters working in Australia's justice system in relation to the explicit requirement of impartiality/neutrality and the implicit expectation of invisibility in their day-to-day work. I interrogate the notion of (in)visibility and explore its potential to contribute to the marginalisation of First Nations interpreters in legal settings and beyond. In particular, I focus on the relationship between impartiality/neutrality and the visibility of First Nations interpreters. I argue that while impartiality is a stance that can be consciously adopted by professional interpreters, complete neutrality is an impossible and unfair requirement given how neutrality can be impacted by kinship relations, historical racial politics, community expectations, and the power differentials inherent to the justice system. The data analysed are drawn from fieldwork conducted between 2018 and 2019 in the Katherine region of Australia's Northern Territory. The data include field notes, court observations, as well as interviews with First Nations language interpreters, legal professionals, and judicial officers.
KW - First Nations languages
KW - impartiality
KW - legal interpreting
KW - neutrality
KW - visibility
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153064959&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.12807/TI.115201.2023.A06
DO - 10.12807/TI.115201.2023.A06
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85153064959
SN - 1836-9324
VL - 15
SP - 120
EP - 134
JO - Translation and Interpreting
JF - Translation and Interpreting
IS - 1
ER -