The following are reasons why Tribes and Tribal people have decided to store Tribal and private collections in the department of Native American Languages archives:
- Central location for Tribal access
- Neutral location from Tribal/family politics
- Long-term, stable organization
- Safe from fire, tornado, heat, humidity
- Copies and originals stored in archival material to aid its lifespan
- Digital information is migrated as technology changes, ensuring its availability
- Permanent, staffed archives to take care of materials
- Conservator on staff for restoration
- Budget to care for materials
- All donors are provided with free copies of audio and visual materials that they donate.
