Unclasping the white hand: Reflecting on Fourmile’s critique of the archives and vision for Indigenous Living Archives on Country

This paper engages with Fourmile's seminal work, 'Who Owns the Past?-Aborigines as Captives of the Archives', to highlight and critique the colonial nature of the archives and their impacts on First Nations peoples in Australia.It outlines Fourmile's calls to action, emphasising the need for First Nations people to not only access archival materials but also exert control over them.Further, it discusses the impacts of Fourmile's work in the context of the Australian library and archives sectors to better support the information needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.The paper critiques the colonial foundations of traditional library and archive practices, drawing on critical library, archive and information studies within an Indigenous research paradigm.Additionally, it explores Fourmile's vision for Living Archives on Country, centring the importance of local care and stewardship of Indigenous stories.