LibGuides: Indigenous Studies: Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Introduction

This guide provides OC Library and web resources related to Indigenous data sovereignty as well as search strategies on this and related topics.

What is Indigenous data sovereignty?

The concept of data sovereignty relates to the "inherent and inalienable rights and interests of indigenous peoples relating to the collection, ownership and application of data about their people, lifeways and territories." (Indigenous Data Sovereignty, p. 2)

"The multifaceted nature of indigenous data sovereignty gives rise to a wide-ranging set of issues, from legal and ethical dimensions around data storage, ownership, access and consent, to intellectual property rights and practical considerations about how data are used in the context of research, policy and practice. Similarly, the scope of the indigenous data ecosystem is vast and includes data generated or held by indigenous communities and organisations, governments, the public sector, international governmental organisations (IGOs), NGOs, research institutions and commercial entities." (Indigenous Data Sovereignty, p. 2)

What is Traditional Knowledge?

"Traditional knowledge (TK) is knowledge, know-how, skills and practices that are developed, sustained and passed on from generation to generation within a community, often forming part of its cultural or spiritual identity." (World Intellectual Property Organization)

What are TK Labels?

"...the Labels allow communities to express local and specific conditions for sharing and engaging in future research and relationships in ways that are consistent with already existing community rules, governance and protocols for using, sharing and circulating knowledge and data." (Local Contexts)

Featured Videos

"Kayla Lar-Son, Indigenous Services and Programs Librarian at the University of British Columbia, presents Data as Relation: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Ethic of Care. Can Indigenous data be seen and treated as a relative? By using the concept of Indigenous relationality, this talk will unpack how when we change our perception of Indigenous data and data ownership, we can become ethical stewards of data, and work towards Indigenous data sovereignty practices." (1 hour)

How Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Biocultural (BC) labels and notices can advance aspirations for Indigenous data sovereignty and Indigenous innovation. (12 minutes)

IMPORTANT: the dominant structure for organizing information is from a western perspective, for this reason you may need to use outdated (sometimes offensive) terminology to find resources related to Indigenous peoples; please contact us if you'd like assistance navigating this.

Combine keywords related to the concept of Indigenous identity with keywords related to your area of interest.

For example:

Indigenous	Aboriginal	"First Nations"
Inuit	Métis	"Indians of North America"
Indian	Native	Name of Nation or Community (e.g. Secwépemc)

AND

"Data Sovereignty"	"Data governance"	"Traditional Knowledge labels" or "TK labels"
"Data control"	"Data security"	"Data management"
"Data stewardship"	"Research management"	Specific research area (e.g. health)

Search Tips:

Use quotation marks to search for a phrase (e.g. "data sovereignty").
Use an asterisk to search for words with the same stem (e.g. sovereign* retrieves sovereign, sovereignty, sovereignties).
Terminology changes over time. You many need to search for alternative spellings of a word, for example: Sto:lo, Stó:lô, Staulo, Stahlo or you may need to search for alternate words, for example: Kwakiutl/Kwakwaka'wakw or Nootka/Nuu-chah-nulth

Subject headings are a tool designed to help researchers find similar materials. These are only some examples of the many subject headings that Okanagan College Library uses. Spend a few minutes exploring them when you find a book in the catalogue that supports your research.

Search by Subject Terms

Indigenous data sovereignty
Indigenous data governance
data colonialism
research data management
data stewardship

Featured Books

Community Resources: Intellectual Property, International Trade and Protection of Traditional Knowledge
Protection of traditional knowledge and resources is of critical concern not only to the groups involved but also to the international trading community. The work sets out an international framework based on the concept of 'community resources', recognizing the unique claims embodied in traditional knowledge, incorporating customary law, and facilitating community management of resources.
The Data Journalism Handbook
Chapter 9: Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Implications for Data Journalism. Authors: T. Kukutai, M. Walter
Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an Agenda
This book argues that Indigenous peoples have inherent and inalienable rights relating to the collection, ownership and application of data about them, and about their lifeways and territories.
Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Policy
This book examines how Indigenous Peoples around the world are demanding greater data sovereignty, and challenging the ways in which governments have historically used Indigenous data to develop policies and programs.
Legal Protection for Traditional Knowledge: Towards a New Law for Indigenous Intellectual Property
Multinational corporations often pirate and patent communal, traditional knowledge, thereby "acquiring" intellectual property potentially worth hundreds of millions of dollars almost free of cost. The author explores the porous legal relations between traditional knowledge and current intellectual property law.

Featured Articles

Indigenous Data Governance: Strategies from United States Native Nations
Russo Carroll, S., Rodriguez-Lonebear, D., & Martinez, A. (2019). Indigenous data governance: Strategies from United States Native Nations. Data Science Journal, 18(1).
Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Kukutai, T., Russo Carroll, S., & Walter, M. (2020). Indigenous Data Sovereignty. Indigenous World, 654–662.
Indigenous Peoples, Data Sovereignty, and Self-Determination: Current Realities and Imperatives
Oguamanam, C. (2020). Indigenous peoples, data sovereignty, and self-determination: Current realities and imperatives. The African Journal of Information and Communication, 26, 1–20.
Operationalizing the CARE and FAIR Principles for Indigenous data futures
Carroll, S. R., Herczog, E., Hudson, M., Russell, K., & Stall, S. (2021). Operationalizing the CARE and FAIR principles for Indigenous data futures. Scientific Data, 8(1), 1–6.
Subverting the universality of metadata standards : The TK labels as a tool to promote Indigenous data sovereignty
Montenegro, M. (2019). Subverting the universality of metadata standards : The TK labels as a tool to promote Indigenous data sovereignty. Journal of Documentation, 75(4), 731–749.
“Of Course, Data Can Never Fully Represent Reality”: Assessing the Relationship between “Indigenous Data” and “Indigenous Knowledge,” “Traditional Ecological Knowledge,” and “Traditional Knowledge”
Duarte, M. E., Vigil-Hayes, M., Littletree, S., & Belarde-Lewis, M. (2019). “Of Course, Data Can Never Fully Represent Reality”: Assessing the relationship between “Indigenous Data” and “Indigenous Knowledge,” “Traditional Ecological Knowledge,” and “Traditional Knowledge.” Human Biology, 91(3), 163–178.

Featured Podcasts

Equity Matters
Oct 5, 2021 Episode: Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Autumn Asher BlackDeer, MSW, Decolonial Scholar discusses how data is typically communicated through a deficit-based framework, how to add a cultural lens to the work and how data can be used to elevate the stories of those it is supposed to serve.
Indigenous X Presents
Oct 3, 2021 Episode: Indigenous Data Sovereignty (Australia)
There’s a global movement pushing for Indigenous Data Sovereignty but how do we move from data dependency to data sovereignty?
Info Matters
Episode 7: First Nations Data Sovereignty
This episode explores how the principles of data ownership, access, control, and possession (OCAP) help promote the ethical use of data about, by, and for First Nations, to effect positive health and social change.
PSA Today
Episode #23
Jeff Doctor from Animikii on Data Colonialism, Indigenous Data Sovereignty and applying 7 Generations thinking to technology.
Warm Regards
Feb 22, 2021 Episode: Indigenous Climate Knowledges and Data Sovereignty
Two Indigenous scientists talk about traditional ecological knowledges and their relationship with climate and environmental data. Includes discussion on history of extraction and exploitation of Indigenous communities and links between data sovereignty to larger sovereignty demands.

Other Resources

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy
British Columbia First Nations' Data Governance Initiative
BCFNDGI will equip First Nations with the technological and human resource capacity to govern and own their communities’ data.
First Nations Information Governance Centre: Principles of OCAP
The First Nations principles of OCAP® establish how First Nations’ data and information will be collected, protected, used, or shared. Standing for ownership, control, access and possession, OCAP® is a tool to support strong information governance on the path to First Nations data sovereignty.
National Inuit Strategy on Research
The National Inuit Strategy on Research (NISR) outlines the coordinated actions required to improve the way Inuit Nunangat research is governed, resourced, conducted, and shared.
CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance
The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are people and purpose-oriented, reflecting the crucial role of data in advancing Indigenous innovation and self-determination. Available to download in summary or full.
Global Indigenous Data Alliance
One of the key aims of GIDA is to share frameworks, tools, and processes to help guide the practice of Indigenous Data Sovereignty around the globe.
Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance
Develops research, policy, and practice innovations for Indigenous data sovereignty. Indigenous data sovereignty draws on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that reaffirms the rights of Indigenous nations to control data about their peoples, lands, and resources.
Local Contexts
The primary objectives of Local Contexts are to enhance and legitimize locally based decision-making and Indigenous governance frameworks for determining ownership, access, and culturally appropriate conditions for sharing historical, contemporary and future collections of cultural heritage and Indigenous data

Related Guides

Indigenous Research Methodology