Shared Heritage? Archival Communities and the Restitution of Knowledge

This paper reviews significant developments in archival science and practice that can potentially offer valuable insights into current debates about decolonizing heritage collections. In both the professional archival field and amongst archival communities, the calls for partnerships in building and curating archives, expanded digital exchanges, and greater transparency of archival practices have gained momentum in recent decades. As evidenced by an ever expanding body of research and applied approaches, 'the archive' has been zealously mobilized as an analytical and experimental instrument for both analyzing and counteracting the colonization of knowledge, epistemic regimes, and cultural and social exclusivity inherent in conventional archival praxis. In addition to highlighting a sample of international studies and initiatives, this article also identifies some potential pitfalls and offers observations concerning the impact of digitization, the importance of collaborative research, and the value of dissonance.