Archivi e Nativi americani: prigione e memoria vivente.

The essay surveys the discussion on Native American archive material from the 1960s to present time, showing how archives play an important part in the decolonization process . The US collections of cultural objects and skeletons, depositories of historical records, treaties, land cessions, nations’ files, photographs and recordings have been instrumental to the colonial construction of the past. Making institutional archives accessible is an act of repatriation which has led to land and tribal claims. Digitalization based on collaboration and reciprocal respect can have an active role in the process of cultural preservation and revitalization. Examples like the Wind River Virtual Museum and the Plateau People’s Web Portal based on the Mukurtu interactive digital platform show new possibilities for cooperation and reciprocal curation.