Hi there, I'm new to this sub, but could use some help. I'm currently working on an English assignment, which is pretty much a 30 minute presentation on a topic of my choosing, as long as it relates to one of the novels we have been reading. My teacher is pretty lenient with this, and since I'm Canadian, I've never gotten the chance to learn much about Columbus. I've chosen to take a look at Columbus and the first contact with the First Nations peoples. Now this is where the help comes in, for my project, I need to conduct at least 2 interviews, either through e-mail or phone. I was hoping that someone on this sub could help me out and answer a few questions for me. Please let me know if you could help me out. Thanks in advance!
In my view, as a teacher, and former professor, the purpose of an interview requirement is to use primary sources: asking people who were there. Otherwise, you can efficiently read a historian's account. Did the teacher approve your topic already?
OP, you might want to specify what age you are and the level of your English class. As others have indicated, in studying college and post graduate level history interviews are reserved for "primary sources." That is, people who were actually there. Naturally, this would be rather difficult for studying Columbus.
On the other hand if this is for a lower level class like a high school assignment (particularly if the goal is to give a speech in English class rather than write a paper for a peer reviewed history journal), interviewing a historian might well be appropriate way to suplement other research. Assuming your teacher approves of this approach, /r/askhistorians would be an ideal place for that. However, I think you need to let us all know these particulars of your class.
Edir: Clarified interviewing as a secondary source of research.
http://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1hexol/the_true_nature_of_christopher_columbus/ this may be a good place to start