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📜 Guide: Data Sharing Protocols Grounded in Indigenous Data Sovereignty

This guide establishes an overview, actionable steps, guiding questions, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) template to support the secure, ethical, and community-driven sharing of Indigenous and local community data.

Overview​

Digital data platforms and data products such as maps and other visualizations can be powerful tools to preserve knowledge, communicate rights, and plan resource management. However, for Indigenous and local communities, using these tools must also protect their right to self-determination and the security of their information.

What is Indigenous Data Sovereignty?​

Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov) is the right of Indigenous Peoples to control and govern all aspects of data that relates to their communities, lands, resources, knowledge systems, and cultural heritage. This right ensures that Indigenous communities retain ownership, access, and decision-making authority over data that reflects their identities and realities. IDSov asserts that data about Indigenous Peoples—whether collected by Indigenous communities themselves or external entities like governments, academic institutions, or NGOs—should be governed in ways that respect and uphold Indigenous values, priorities, and self-determination.

IDSov is grounded in the right to self-determination. Recognized in documents like the 2017 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), self-determination emphasizes that Indigenous Peoples have the right to control and manage their own affairs, including data and knowledge production. This extends to digital spaces and is particularly relevant as data sharing, technology, and collection initiatives grow. According to Carroll et al. (2020)1, Indigenous data is any information about Indigenous Peoples or their lands, languages, customs, traditions, and ecological knowledge that needs to be held within a framework of reciprocal, collective governance and is integral to generational continuity.

IDSov challenges the historical backdrop of data exploitation where Indigenous data was often extracted and used without consent, resulting in its misappropriation and devaluation. IDSov strives to counteract the colonial legacy of resource and knowledge extraction, ensuring that Indigenous Peoples control how data about their communities is collected, used, and shared. For example, Indigenous data sovereignty principles diverge sharply from conventional intellectual property and data privacy laws, as they are rooted in a relational worldview that prioritizes interconnectedness among people, land, and the cosmos. Knowledge protocols from Indigenous communities emphasize this interconnectedness, describing their protocols as “living beings” that evolve to reflect the continuous journey of the community’s identity and heritage.

What are the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance?​

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are a set of principles that guide the collection, use, and sharing of Indigenous data. Influenced by First Nations Principles of OCAP (Ownership, Control, Access and Possession) in Canada, the Principles of Māori Data Sovereignty, and more, they attempt to articulate a comprehensive and global framework for Indigenous data governance. The CARE Principles are:

  • [C]ollective Benefit - Data ecosystems must enable Indigenous Peoples to derive benefit from the data

  • [A]uthority to Control - Indigenous Peoples' rights and interests in Indigenous data must be recognized and their authority empowered

  • [R]esponsibility - Those working with Indigenous data must share how data are used to support self-determination and collective benefit

  • [E]thics - Indigenous Peoples' rights and wellbeing should be the primary concern at all stages of the data lifecycle

Each principle is supported by a set of sub-principles that describe how the principle should be applied in practice. For more information, see "Care Principles for Indigenous Data Governance" (2020)2.

The CARE Principles are an important standard that is already being used to benchmark and improve data sharing and stewardship practices. For example, Jennings et al. (2023)3 used the CARE Principles to recommend better data stewardship practices for open earth science research.

Purpose of Data Sharing Protocols​

Establishing protocols for data sharing grounded in IDSov ensures that Indigenous and local communities maintain control and oversight over their information while collaborating with external organizations. Protocols help prevent data exploitation, respect cultural values, and protect sensitive information.

Data sharing should always serve purposes defined by the community itself. Common reasons include:

  1. Advocacy for Land and Resource Rights: Maps and data can communicate land claims, boundaries, and resource rights to governments, NGOs, and stakeholders.
  2. Documentation of Cultural and Ecological Knowledge: Sharing knowledge about biodiversity or traditional ecological knowledge can support conservation efforts and cultural preservation.
  3. Resource Management and Environmental Conservation: Data sharing supports sustainable management of resources, ensuring that ecosystems and community needs are respected.
  4. Building Community Capacity in Data Governance: Participating in data collection, management, and analysis strengthens communities’ data literacy and governance skills.

Practical Steps for Data Sharing Grounded in IDSov​

  1. Develop Indigenous-Led Data Sharing Protocols: Protocols should be crafted by and for the community, based on local values and governance structures.
  2. Apply Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC): FPIC must be at the heart of any data-sharing protocol. Communities should have the right to opt out or adjust permissions at any time.
  3. Implement Community Governance Over Digital Platforms: Whenever possible, communities should have administrative rights over the digital platforms used for storing and sharing data.
  4. Adapt Security Measures to Community Needs: Ensure that data security practices align with the community’s concerns, including physical and digital security, access controls, and storage locations.

Resources​

Footnotes​

  1. Carroll, S.R., Garba, I., Figueroa-Rodríguez, et al. "The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance." Data Science Journal 19(1), p. 43. (2020) https://doi.org/10.5334/dsj-2020-043 ↩

  2. Research Data Alliance International Data Sovereignty Interest Group. "Care Principles for Indigenous Data Governance." The Global Indigenous Data Alliance. (2019) https://www.gida-global.org/s/CAREPrinciples_OnePagersFINAL_Oct_17_2019.pdf ↩

  3. Jennings, L., Anderson, T., Martinez, A. et al. "Applying the ‘CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance’ to ecology and biodiversity research." Nat Ecol Evol 7, 1547–1551 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-023-02161-2 ↩