Archival Returns

Place-based cultural knowledge of ceremonies, songs,stories, language, kinship and ecology binds Australian Indigenous societiestogether. Over the last 100 years or so, records of this knowledge in manydifferent formats audiocassettes, photographs, films, written texts, maps,and digital recordings have been accumulating at an ever-increasing rate. Yetthis extensive documentary heritage is dispersed. In many cases, the Indigenouspeople who participated in the creation of the records, or their descendants,have little idea of where to find the records or how to access them. Some recordsare held precariously in ad hoc collections, and their caretakers may beperplexed as to how to ensure that they are looked after.

Archival Returns:Central Australia and Beyond explores the strategies and practices by whichcultural heritage materials can be returned to their communities of origin, andthe issues this process raises for communities, as well as for museums, galleries, andother cultural institutions.