Today, August 9th is the Annual International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples which was created to promote and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world. It commemorates the first United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations meeting in Geneva in 1982. As an archivist, consider familiarizing yourself with Article 31 of the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms Indigenous Peoples’ right to maintain, control, protect, and develop the intellectual property over their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions. A FAQ on the Declaration can be found here.
On a related note – it was a year ago, August 13th that The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials was endorsed by the Society of American Archivists which provides excellent guidance and contacts for creating equitable partnerships with Native American Tribes. The Protocols can be found here.
Our organization wants more tribal archivists as members! If you have any contacts for potential members please let us know so we can reach out.