Iroko Historical Society · Postcustodial Digital Archives for Afro-Atlantic Cultural Materials

The Collections

Our Holdings

Governed Collections Interface

Per Medjat

The Society's collections are accessible through Per Medjat — the governed public interface at medjat.irokosociety.org. Per Medjat houses both the Medjat Library (cataloged scholarly holdings) and the Medjat Archives (primary source and field collections under the six-tier access system). Records are presented with explicit stewardship boundaries; governed material is signaled, not silently erased.

Open Per Medjat ↗ Medjat Library ↗ Medjat Archives ↗

Holdings

What the Society Holds

The Society's holdings span textual, visual, sonic, and material dimensions of Afro-Atlantic sacred practice. All materials are governed under the six-tier access framework of the Iroko Framework vocabulary. Access is calibrated to the nature of each material and the community authorization protocols that govern it.

Ethnobotanical Database Live

Ewé Sacred Plant Database

50-record structured corpus integrating botanical, linguistic, and ritual description from Pierre Fatumbi Verger and Dalia Quiros-Moran. Field-level access governance via the Iroko Framework Ewé Module. Searchable at medjat.irokosociety.org/ewe/. Full corpus of 750+ records in development.

Research Library Live

Medjat Library

Cataloged scholarly and reference materials supporting research into Afro-Atlantic sacred knowledge systems. Published works, field editions, and reference literature. 69+ items drawn from the Zotero-powered IHS Research Library catalog, accessible at medjat.irokosociety.org/library/.

Textual & Field Materials Governed Access

Sacred Texts & Libretas

Handwritten libretas, ritual notebooks, Odù transcriptions, patakís, liturgical texts, and correspondence between practitioners and religious communities. Includes materials digitized through ongoing fieldwork in Cuba since 2002. Access governed under tiers L2–L5 of the Iroko Framework.

Visual & Sonic Governed Access

Visual Ethnography & Sonic Materials

Documentary photography produced through fieldwork in Havana, Matanzas, and Pinar del Río; sacred drum recordings; liturgical and ceremonial sonic materials. The Society holds the Añá drum set “La Redentora de Dos Anillos” under dedicated governance instruments. Access governed by community authorization protocols specific to each body of materials.

Access

How to Request Access

Access to IHS holdings is governed by a six-tier framework calibrated to the nature of each material and applicable community authorization protocols. Not all materials are available at all access levels. Requests are evaluated on the basis of the requester's credentials, community standing, and the specific materials sought. Public materials are discoverable through Per Medjat without a request.

View Access Policy Submit a Research Request