Abstract
The University of New Mexico, College of University Libraries and Library Sciences, endorsed The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials in 2020. This case study explores the use of an Ethics of Care approach, prioritizing Indigenous cultural protocols for Indigenous sound recordings housed within the archival collections of the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR). The CSWR staff sought guidance from local tribal nations when CSWR patrons requested the duplication of cultural songs, cultural oral histories, and/or interviews. Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, tribal cultural rights departments, and specified tribal persons identified by tribes as cultural experts reviewed the materials in question before the requests were fulfilled. The reviews started conversations and educated the CSWR about the content of the recordings and the utility of the information within the context of tribal cultural practice. This case study will focus on the application of cultural protocols and the management of Indigenous sound recordings. It will also focus on the need for archives to respectfully apply Indigenous provenance in cases where cultural recordings need attention not initially addressed when the collection was acquired.
Author Biography
Jolene Dezbah Manus is the Curator of Native American Collections at the University of New Mexico. She advocates for Native American tribal materials found in archives by contacting tribal historic preservation departments. At UNM, she works on shaping respectful Distinctive Native American collections for University Libraries.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Manus, Jolene D.
(2025)
"Ethics of Care: Applying Cultural Protocols to Indigenous Sound Recordings,"
Journal of Western Archives: Vol. 16:
Iss.
1, Article 1.
DOI: 10.59620/2154-7149.1189
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/westernarchives/vol16/iss1/1
