The Iroko Historical Society is dedicated to the ethical stewardship of Africana cultural heritage, with a particular focus on sacred, community-held, and historically marginalized forms of knowledge. The Society approaches archival practice not simply as preservation, but as a responsibility to care for materials shaped by ritual, lineage, and lived experience.

Many of the collections stewarded by the Iroko Historical Society were not created for unrestricted public circulation. Ritual manuscripts, devotional notebooks, oral histories, ethnobotanical knowledge, and ceremonial documentation often carry cultural, spiritual, and ethical obligations that exceed standard archival access models. The Society therefore prioritizes descriptive access, contextualization, and long-term preservation while developing culturally informed pathways for appropriate use and consultation.

Three core principles guide stewardship at the Iroko Historical Society:

Respect for Cultural and Spiritual Context
Collections are described with attention to the cosmological, historical, and community frameworks in which they were produced. Language, terminology, and metadata practices are developed to avoid misrepresentation or extractive interpretation.

Ethical and Staged Access
Public access is currently provided through collection-level descriptions, finding aids, and contextual documentation. Item-level access to sensitive materials is governed by ethical review, custodial permission, and, where applicable, community consultation. This staged approach ensures that visibility does not come at the expense of cultural integrity.

Professional Archival Practice
The Society’s archival work draws on established standards in description, digital preservation, and documentation while recognizing that sacred and community archives require adaptations to conventional models. Stewardship decisions are informed by archival ethics, anthropological insight, and ongoing research into best practices for sensitive collections.

The Iroko Historical Society understands archives as living systems shaped by time, care, and responsibility. Stewardship is an ongoing process rather than a fixed state. As the Society continues to develop its infrastructure, it remains committed to transparency, accountability, and the thoughtful expansion of access in ways that honor both the materials and the communities from which they emerge.

Questions regarding collections, access, or stewardship practices may be directed through the Society’s contact page.