Reflection Page 5

Reflection

I found the process of preparing the exhibit to be quite tedious, especially in regards to sourcing Omeka items that related to my thesis. In order to find items that adequately supported my claims, I found items outside the usual sources which I believe helped me a lot in the exhibit building process. Retrieving articles was relatively easier, due to the past experience I have had with the previous assignments. However, finding a non-scholarly source(an NGO for example) proved to be a bit more difficult than I had anticipated. Finding one did, however, make the entire exhibit have more of a natural feel to it as opposed to if I had used only scholarly articles.

In relation to the ethical issues related to the digital infrastructures I used, one must always take note of the necessity of consent in the distribution of indigenous material. In “Tribal Archives, Traditional Knowledge, and Local Contexts: Why the “s” Matters”, Christen makes it clear that the digitization of indigenous archives and records may pose unique ethical challenges due to considerations that may not align easily with the methods of archiving and circulation used (2015, p. 1). For example, the image of the Four Circles of Hollow Water could be meant for circulation within Hollow Water itself. In such a scenario, it is always best to consult the tribe directly and ask permission to conduct the archiving process. If they decide that they are not okay with the circulation of their material, pull the record from circulation as it is entirely up to the indigenous people what happens to their works.