The Discussion Paper questioned whether such regional and local archives act as custodians for these records on behalf of the people or groups to which the records relate. The transfer of ownership of custodianship of archives relating to Indigenous people and communities proved to be a sensitive issue. As the Powerhouse Museum noted, ownership of material in archives, where those who are the subject of the material wish to control it, has a number of implications for collecting authorities, including the management of access and the transfer of this condition to other people who are also the subject of archival records. The submission suggested that authorities such as Australian Archives and the Australian Council of Archives should address this issue. While there is absolutely no doubt that the records are crucial to Indigenous people for research, they are also of use for a variety of other reasons that may or may not be associated with Indigenous people.
Records held by a central agency are available to all potential users under the same rules.
This would probably not be the case if records are dispersed and held by a number of centres. There are many practical considerations involved in any discussion of returning archives. The removal of files, or parts of files about Indigenous people, would compromise the integrity of the records of which they form part. The files so removed would no longer be in context, rendering them less meaningful and less useful as evidence. The Australian Archives does support the transfer of copies of records to cultural centres, but notes that if large-scale copying of records held by the Archives is required, suitable funding for providing copies would need to be found.