Abstract
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the preeminent international instrument elaborating on the rights of Indigenous peoples. It contains the minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of Indigenous peoples all over the world. As a consequence, the Declaration provides a blueprint for Indigenous peoples, governments and other third parties around the world to respect the rights and roles of Indigenous peoples within society. At its core, the Declaration is based on the principles of self-determination, good faith and participation in decision-making. In this paper, I outline how the principles of the Declaration can and should influence archival and record keeping practices. I suggest we need to harness the practical power of human rights. In exercising our right to participate in decision-making, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can demonstrate this practical power. It is critical that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are substantive and major stakeholders in determining appropriate archival and record keeping processes for Indigenous culture, cultural property and knowledge.
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Notes
See http://infotech.monash.edu.au/non-cms/about/news/conferences/aihr/program.html for audio recording of Commissioner Gooda’s presentation and subsequent responses to questions.
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Interdisciplinary workshop: Archives and indigenous human rights: Towards an understanding of the archival and record keeping implications of Australian and international human rights for Indigenous Australians.
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Gooda, M. The practical power of human rights: how international human rights standards can inform archival and record keeping practices. Arch Sci 12, 141–150 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10502-011-9166-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10502-011-9166-x