Decolonization Methods for Creating Inclusive Technologies

Abstract

In this article, I show how decolonization methods sourced from Aboriginal database scholarship can address colonial legacies found within Western, art-based institutions and their databases. In this study, decolonization refers to long-term, iterative, fluid practices that are first initiated by acknowledging colonial legacies and are then continued by partnering with communities and imagining alternate, Indigenous-based practices. The Indigenous-based databases analyzed include Mukurtu, a database platform developed for the Warumumgu, an Australian Aboriginal community, and now used by Indigenous communities around the world; Yolŋu Studies, a database used by the Yolŋu people, an Aboriginal community of northern Australia; and the database system of the Vanuatu Kaljoral Senta (VKS), a Melanesian cultural center in the Republic of Vanuatu. With the insights gathered from these databases, I documented and juxtaposed the decolonization practices used in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa’s database, EMu, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s (MFAH) TMS System using interviews with museum professionals. Te Papa Tongarewa and the MFAH serve as good case studies as they exhibit decolonization characteristics and practices from two different phases of decolonization: during and after recognizing colonial legacies. Key insights from this study include that an institution’s colonial legacies must first be acknowledged before cataloging processes can be altered to apply the methods and practices of Indigenous databases. Although conflicting opinions exist regarding whether a database can truly be decolonized, this article provides methods for professionals to address and repair records with legacy data to better represent and serve their communities.