OEGlobal 2024

Effective data governance is critical to Indigenous self-determination, and decision-making that consequently affects the lives of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.  The principle, ""nothing about us, without us"" underscores the importance of Indigenous engagement in every aspect of data governance. However, historical practices by early explorers, linguists, anthropologists and other researchers have more often violated these rights, leading to the ever-present mistrust of institutions now responsible for the custodianship of Indigenous data/ invaluable cultural heritage.

Currently, Indigenous data assets face vulnerabilities such as loss, limited discoverability, and misuse, including duplication and the over-researching of communities. Indigenous epistemologies have not been authentically valued and embraced within the design of open science principles, contributing to the disproportionate underrepresentation of Indigenous voices within the global scientific discourse.

More recently, global and local collaborations have amplified the perspectives of Indigenous data practitioners, helping to shape frameworks that align with Indigenous worldviews. This shift is aimed at fostering greater autonomy and agency, allowing communities to derive value from data in ways that respect their priorities and cultural ways of being.

How do we ensure the centrality of Indigenous ways of knowing and being within decision-making practices and what does ‘open access’ mean when it comes to the responsible stewardship of Indigenous data?

This presentation explores the role of digital research infrastructures, such as the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA) and the Reclaiming Data, Reclaiming Culture: Indigenous Self-Determination in Digital Research Infrastructure (HASS & Indigenous RDC), in supporting the reclamation and preservation of Indigenous cultural heritage. By enhancing metadata and accessibility, we advocate for a responsive Indigenous data ecosystem that meets contemporary research needs while prioritising the needs of Indigenous communities.