CAFe Speaker Series: Working with Indigenous Australian peoples to support community archiving and cultural safety
Date/Time: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Virtual
Speaker: Kirsten Thorpe
Abstract:
The session will discuss priorities around engaging with Indigenous peoples to reshape and build archives led by Indigenous self-determination. Kirsten will share her experiences of working in Australian libraries and archives to facilitate the historical return of records to communities and discuss the information and recordkeeping gaps that currently exist with Indigenous community archives in an Australian context. Kirsten will explore mandates for action to support Indigenous priorities concerning archives’ management – across government/institutional and community contexts. Finally, the talk will focus on reimagining archival spaces and aspirations for building archives that do not perpetuate trauma and instead support peoples’ cultural safety.
Bio:
Kirsten Thorpe (Worimi, Port Stephens NSW) Senior Researcher, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, University of Technology Sydney has led the development of protocols, policies, and services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in libraries and archives in Australia. Kirsten’s research interests relate to Indigenous self-determination in libraries and archives. She has been involved in numerous projects that have involved the return of historic collections to Indigenous peoples and communities, and advocates for a transformation of practice to center Indigenous priorities and voice in regard to the management of data, records, and collections. In 2018, Kirsten began PhD studies through Monash University to investigate Indigenous cultural safety and self-determination in Australian libraries and archives. Kirsten is an invited member of the International Council on Archives Expert Group on Indigenous Matters.