Archival decolonization and buffalo restoration as acts of Native American cultural reclamation

Abstract

Much research has been done exploring how settler archivists working in institutions occupying Indigenous land can involve Native peoples in the care of their archival materials. Similarly, there has been much scholarship exploring the causes of the near extinction of the North American bison and its reintroduction to its native habitat. Both practices are important for Native communities who seek to rebuild families, histories, and lifeways that were forcefully taken from them upon contact with European nations. However, no one has yet looked at these practices in relation to one another, as methods by which culture is restored to its people. These two cultural reclamation practices share many similarities, including focuses on stewardship and relationship building, and face similar difficulties in funding, access, and outreach. Archives should pay attention to, and emulate, how Native tribes speak to their communities to ensure that all voices are heard.