Indigenous Data Sovereignty

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 self-determination. 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 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, Pacific Island nations and Scandinavia. In recent years indigenous 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 application. Understanding the IDS approach will be fundamental to the future study of indigenous identity, engagement and self-determination of indigenous futures.

This session will explore the development of IDS in different contexts and how these will impact the future engagement of indigenous peoples with sociology.