Presentation

Indigenous Applicatinos of Mukurtu for Digital Collections

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Abstract

Tribal libraries, archives, and museums collect, preserve, and share their unique languages and cultures while also protecting Indigenous identity, knowledge, and inherent sovereignty. Whereas many digital archives initiatives champion open access to content, Indigenous communities have cultural protocols and community preferences that necessitate more granular, deliberate management of the online circulation of cultural heritage resources.

Monique Tyndall, Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans director of cultural affairs, will discuss how Indigenous cultural heritage professionals use Mukurtu, a content management system developed by Washington State University, to privilege cultural systems of organization and to Indigenize how digital heritage materials are made accessible.

Henning Garvin, Hooc?k Waaziija Haci Language Division, will discuss the utility of Mukurtu in supporting language learning, as it enables access to natural language input for learners at all proficiency levels and creates connections to related cultural heritage.

Blaire Morseau, University of Massachusetts–Boston, will present on her prior work as Archivist for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, where she collaboratively developed and launched her tribe’s Mukurtu site, Wiwkwébthëgen, to make linguistic and material culture collections held by the tribe and collections held around the world more accessible to the Potawatomi community.

Erin F.H. Hughes and Sarah Lundquist, WiLS, will outline the broader use of Mukurtu in preserving and sharing digital heritage in culturally relevant and ethically-minded ways. They will describe the practical needs of institutions housing Indigenous collections, and discuss the NEH grant Curating Indigenous Digital Collections.

How to Cite:

Hughes, E. F., Garvin, H., Lundquist, S., Morseau, B. & Tyndall, M., (2022) “Indigenous Applicatinos of Mukurtu for Digital Collections”, MAC Annual Meeting Presentations 2022(1).