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Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Language: English
As the global ‘data revolution’ accelerates, how can the data rights and interests of indigenous peoples be secured and what does this mean for sociological practice at a local and global level?
Indigenous data sovereignty (IDS) is a rapidly emerging focus for indigenous peoples seeking to protect and control a strategic asset that is essential for their development in their own terms. Indigenous data sovereignty is the right of an indigenous people to govern the collection, ownership and application of its own data, and derives from tribes’ inherent right to govern their people, lands and resources. This conception of data sovereignty positions Indigenous nations’ activities to govern data within an Indigenous rights framework in accordance with international declarations and such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Indigenous data sovereignty is already being operationalised in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, South America and Scandinavia. National and international organisations have been created to advocate for and support data sovereignty activities at national and international levels. The approaches and actions of these organisations vary according to local constitutional, official statistics and research structures. However, these are permanent changes to how indigenous peoples initiate, respond to and apply the processes of information creation and its application. Understanding the IDS approach will be fundamental to the future study of indigenous identity, engagement and development.
This panel will explore the common themes in IDS and how they will impact the future engagement of indigenous peoples with sociology.