The potential complexity of “universal ownership”: Cultural property, textual circulation, and linguistic fieldwork

Following Hill’s (2002) examination of the dominant rhetorical strategies used to discuss language revitalization projects, this paper continues this investigation, utilizing examples from sustained linguistic fieldwork in an indigenous Pueblo community in New Mexico. I detail the context surrounding the Pueblo’s decision to employ written indigenous language materials as part of a community language program including the new ways of limiting access to cultural information that have been developed in response to the controversial status of writing in this community. I show that the application of the concept that Hill identifies as “universal ownership” has the potential to lead to serious ethical problems, detailing the creative approaches to textual circulation within one community and offering alternatives for scholars facing ethical issues involving publication.