Native Communities

The Archive of Native American Recorded History portal currently focuses on materials held in the Doris Duke Native American Oral History Collections, its flagship collection.

Recordings and related materials on the portal are co-curated with the repositories holding the materials and the Native communities represented in the materials. Access is determined by the represented Native community.

The review process is conducted by official Community Curation Teams designated by a tribal authority. Team members review the recordings for cultural sensitivities and determine the level of access. Recordings may be available to the public, restricted for tribal community use only, or restricted to specific community members. Community Curation Teams may expand their activities to include adding context and content to the existing collections, and translating, transcribing, and indexing the recordings.

Community Curation Team members are appointed by tribal leadership and are authorized to act on behalf of the tribe. Community Curators have knowledge of cultural protocols and history.

Protocols specific to the Doris Duke Native American Oral History Collections are below: