Access Policies for Native American Archival Materials - Case Studies

The Protocols for Native American Archival Materials establish best practices for the culturally responsive care and use of Native American archival materials, particularly materials that are housed in non-tribal institutions. This series of case studies, sponsored by the Native American Archivists Section of SAA, helps archivists, librarians, museum curators, and other professionals who work with Native American archival materials see how the Protocols have been adapted for use in a variety of institutional contexts. More broadly, these case studies highlight evolving access policies to Native American materials, whether or not these policies are based specifically on the Protocols.

Learn how to submit a case study to this series.

Case Studies Series Co-editors: 
DIANA MARSH, University of Maryland College of Information Studies
LOTUS NORTON-WISLA, Washington State University Libraries
KATHERINE SATRIANO, Peabody Museum at Harvard University

CASE 1
Archival Initiatives for the Indigenous Collections at the
American Philosophical Society
by BRIAN CARPENTER

CASE 2
Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library and the Protocols
by JONATHAN PRINGLE

CASE 3
Access Policies for Native American Archival Materials in the
National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution
by DIANA E. MARSH, ROBERT LEOPOLD, KATHERINE CROWE, and
KATHERINE S. MADISON 

CASE 4
Our Sustained Commitment to Native Communities: Adoption of the
Protocols as Ongoing Collection Management Process
by BRAVE HEART SANCHEZ, ELIZABETH DUNHAM, RENEE D. JAMES,
JOYCE MARTIN, LORRIE McALLISTER, ALLINSTON SAULSBERRY,
ALEXANDER SOTO, and ALANA VARNER