In this paper Kath Apma Penangke Travis, a Sovereign Arrernte and Boandik woman, Stolen Generation survivor and archive user, confronts the trauma resulting from access or lack thereof to archives. Her work situates the colonial project as a lingering internal conflict that demands attention from those who work with, access and use archives. She explores how family stories are still systematically erased, distorted, and weaponised through ongoing colonial archival practices. There is an urgent need to interrogate access to records to dismantle misrepresentations that have historically marginalised not only the voices of her matrilineal line but all First Peoples' voices. In pursuit of archival justice, she asks: How do we challenge and reshape the archive when the very foundation is built on systemic violence? The GLAM sector has a vital role in healing and restoring cultural narratives for First Nations people. How can it help amplify the voices of those who have been marginalised and
silenced?
Through her own lived experience, Kath offers valuable insights that integrate trauma, archives and healing together in one place for the first time. She encourages us to reflect on how we can better support these efforts and create a more equitable archive for all that we strive to honour and amplify. It is essential that these important stories are heard.