ABSTRACT
This chapter is about how reintegration of cultural materials can be based on a new form of archiving relationship sometimes referred to as “participatory archiving.” With the working concepts of “knowledge practice” and a “decolonizing methodology,” the Strehlow archive can be seen as fostering emergent practices of cultural repatriation. With the recent engagements of Aranda researchers within the Strehlow Research Centre, key elements of public access and reintegration of the collection are being addressed. Through a case study, this chapter will demonstrate how Indigenous researchers redefine the dominant terms of past research relationships. Reconnecting Australian Aboriginal communities with ethnographic collections is a key feature of contemporary research practice at the Strehlow Research Centre. The chapter also speaks to the key theme of cultural memory, specifically the preservation of cultural memories with the help of digital technologies. Contrary to earlier experiences with legacy media (print and television), digital media appears to afford the promise of furthering the goal of Aboriginal knowing while at the same time challenging the orthodoxies of research practices.
