A key to facilitating repatriation and empowerment is the recognition of the power of language. Authors gain different forms of power through their choice of language. In choosing to use a globalized colonial language, messages may be spread widely and reach many people. In choosing to use traditional language, an author lends dignity to his or her traditional knowledge and retains that knowledge within its original framework. ERA encourages an author to choose the language that is most appropriate for the needs of their knowledge communities.
Universal accessibility is an important part of the journal's mission. As a result, ERA was built, from the beginning, on an Internet model of communication. This allows manuscripts to be published and distributed at no cost. It also provides more flexibility in the inclusion of information, such as color photographs, that are otherwise expensive to disseminate.
ERA is a peer-reviewed journal that strives to maintain a high-standard of quality. Manuscript authorship is only one part of the publication process. The mission of ERA includes the need for active participation by the international community in the peer-review process. This includes the review and editing of manuscripts. The choice of publishing in traditional languages, for example, makes global participation necessary.