In general, interpreters in non-Indigenous settings have taken on a role that strives for very little interference, influence, or manifestation of the interpreter’s engagement as a separate entity. This stems from a history of
ethically trying to do no harm. This has led to the stigmatization of the old role model labels such as “helper,” and leads to the more accepted term of “ally.”

However, the role of designated interpreter (DI) has slowly come to be a mixture of the behaviors of many of these old and new roles, with, perhaps, some enhancements.

A DI’s role can vary hour by hour or day by day. Each Deaf professional (DP) has different needs at different times, which should be part of the DP/DI team planning. A DI works closely with a DP, so much so that his/her knowledge of the setting and context of the DP’s work is in-depth. Many of the interpreted situations go smoothly because the DI can anticipate or predict what a DP will express before they start a sentence. The DI and DP become a team. The DI can and should interact with the DP’s hearing colleagues as a separate individual, showing their humanity. This ensures trust and smooth collaboration between the hearing and DP/DI team. It also allows for the DI (and thus the DP) to understand the contextual culture of the work environment. Rumors, inside jokes, stories about who ate the last donut in the break room, and general information become mandatory interpreter knowledge to convey to the DP. Being a DI allows the power imbalance between hearing colleagues (including interpreter) and Deaf to begin to balance out. A team must be flexible and cohesive. A DI must adapt to situations quickly and smoothly, giving information from the environment to the DP. DP/DI teams save time and lower stress. By showing adaptability, DPs have more opportunity to advance their careers. With professional assigned interpreters of a more neutral role, DPs become frustrated when working with non-designated interpreters who are unfamiliar with interpreting in Indigenous terminology, acronyms, context and cultural norms.

The specific cultural and ethical expectations in Indigenous contexts are paramount when considering your interpreting role — behaviors and perceptions. Knowing the complexities of such an assignment discussed in this Protocol, a non-Indigenous interpreter should shift towards a more designated interpreter role: expect that you will be addressed as the person you are, and
need to interact on your own behalf, as well as providing constant communication access to whomever needs it, just as in the above role explanation of a DI. This means preparations are much more than reviewing the text of a presentation or knowing the names of participants. Preparation includes learning that setting’s schema. For example, as a field interpreter, you may be expected to participate in whatever type of physical work your DP is engaging in; if all of the women of the family are gathering berries, and your DP is helping, the DI will be gathering berries, too — this is a show of reciprocity on the part of the interpreter. You must also recognize your privilege and the power disparity between some Indigenous Deaf and their hearing tribal members. Deaf tribal members may lack tribal knowledge, understanding, or have misconceptions due to lack of communication and/or education. You must be adaptable, with respect. Respect that you have power that must be used with responsibility to the people. The people and their relationships are more important than the work.