Reflection - Archives and Ethics

Creating this exhibit involved using digital humanities tools like Voyant and Palladio. The integration of visual and multimedia elements significantly enhanced the overall argument. Voyant's text analysis unveiled patterns within the TRC report, visually representing the interconnectedness between "self," "language," and "culture." This data-driven perspective reinforced the importance of language in Indigenous communities, which I found boosted my analysis. Palladio's mapping capabilities allowed for a spatial visualization of the geographical distribution of residential schools, adding a layer of understanding to the historical context. Inclusion of figures and images, for example figure 3, served as insightful visual aids, that connected the audience with my analysis. Conversely, I struggled with interpreting data accurately from Voyant and maintaining consistency in labeling and referencing figures. I also struggled with Palladio’s interface as I found it difficult to add points to my map.

The use of digital infrastructures for archiving and displaying Indigenous peoples' histories raises ethical challenges. When these materials are accessed without proper consent, or collaboration with the Indigenous communities, there’s a risk of misinterpretation which can undermine the autonomy of Indigenous peoples. Regarding ethical theories, utilitarianism, geared towards maximising information dispersal, may clash with Indigenous peoples. Duty-based and virtue ethics underscore activists’ ethical duties to source Indigenous communities, necessitating resource development with integrity and genuine concern for their values. As Cushman (2013) discusses, "deep authority" (p. 119) requires centering Indigenous standpoints and protocols to decolonize systems and to ensure that by displaying Indigenous histories stereotypes aren’t perpetuated. Similarly, right-based perspectives highlight the rights of Indigenous communities to determine the appropriate representation of their knowledge. However, the challenge lies in balancing these rights with open access to digital archives, thus potentially leading to conflicts between individual and collective rights. Overall, a holistic approach of balancing rights, duties, and virtues through future collaboration can develop frameworks to uphold self-determination while aiming to preserve accessibility through respectful digital platforms.