Modern Archive

Preserving colonized practices or protecting community histories and cultures?

As an accidental archivist striving to work within an Indigenous framework, I often find myself at a crossroads where historical archival methodologies based in colonized constructs meets traditional community practices of stewardship and cultural preservation.

I am constantly asking myself where does one end and the other begin? After much deliberation, I am beginning to think that I have been asking the wrong question all along. Perhaps, instead of viewing both as independent of one another, we should really begin to re-evaluate what a modern archive is and how it serves the community it represents. I would, dare to say, go as far as to suggest we forgo what we have been historically taught by unlearning these harmful practices of cultural heritage management and start anew with a fresh perspective that is more representative of who we are, where we live and how we live.

This is not to say that I do not find value in traditional archival methodologies. In fact, I see value in appraisal and arrangement. I just believe that there needs to be more than just a one size fits all approach and that the institution of archives as a whole needs to begin acknowledging and recognizing past harms that continue to perpetuate the ‘us’ versus ‘them’ mentality where marginalized communities and professionals are often the ones left out of the conversation about how their own histories and cultures are preserved, protected and accessed. Furthermore, I believe source communities not only have an inherit right to dictate how their archives are managed but can also offer a more holistic approach that can contribute to a healthier and sustainable community.