Ethics, Indigenous Cultural Safety and the Archives
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26686/arch.10661Keywords:
Indigenous peoples -- Historiography, Archives -- Methodology, Archives -- Research, Cultural competence, Archives -- Access control -- Australia, Iwi taketake, Worimi (Australian people), Aboriginal Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, Libraries and Aboriginal Australians, Libraries and Torres Strait IslandersAbstract
This article, originally presented at a conference on Māori archives and records, Rotorua, Aug 2018, explores issues of ethics and cultural competency and safety in the relations of Indigenous Australians (i.e., Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders; first peoples of Australia; First Nations Australians; First Australians; Sovereign peoples) with archives and archived material. This article draws on the author's doctoral research and work as an Indigenous Archivist in Australia. This article examines key concepts in ethics and indigenous people; Indigenous cultural awareness, safety and security; and cultural competency. Three examples of cases illustrating issues in archival practice are examined. First, a collection of Aboriginal hair samples. Second, a failure in record-keeping by the Aborigines Protection Board and Aborigines Welfare Board affecting the repayment on monies held in trust and their bias and discrimination affecting staff. Finally, the development of the In Living Memory photographic exhibition to include Aboriginal consultation. Comments are made on concepts and models the author intends to explore further in her research.
Metadata reused from the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa under a CC BY 4.0 license.
