Research data management

Indigenous data sovereignty refers to the fundamental right of Indigenous peoples to control, access, interpret, manage, and collectively own data from and about their communities, lands, and cultures. It includes both the individual and collective rights to data access and to privacy. The foundations of Indigenous sovereignty rest upon Indigenous peoples' right to autonomous governance and self-determination, as described by the United Nations' Declaration on Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as well as frameworks such as the OCAP principles and the CARE principles.

Information management and data collection strategies must align with the practices, cultures, and protocols of the Indigenous Nations, communities, or peoples represented in the data. Researchers working with Indigenous communities or Nations should also recognize that Indigenous communities, Nations, and individuals are also active partners and co-creators in the research process (Walter, et al., 2020). 

The article 'Trust in Scholarly Communications and Infrastructure: Indigenous Data Sovereignty' provides a brief overview of recent global data sovereignty developments, along with the context that lies behind these activities.

The First Nations Information Governance Centre describes First Nations data as data on:

• data on First Nations resources and environments such as land, water, wildlife, resource and land management, and geographic data that might describe ecosystems and lands; 
• data about First Nations peoples and communities, such as demographic or social data; 
• data on First Nations' culture, practices, protocols, and traditional knowledge, such as languages or community stories (FNIGC, n.d.). 

The OCAP Principles "assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own and control how this information can be used" (FNIGC, n.d.). They are a set of standards that guide Indigenous data governance in the context of First Nations in what is now called Canada. 

OCAP stands for Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession: 

• Ownership: Indigenous communities own their information in the same way that an individual would own their personal information.  
• Control: Indigenous communities and Nations can seek control over research data and its management at all stages of the research cycle.
• Access: Indigenous communities and Nations must be able to access data about themselves and have the right to make or be involved in decisions regarding access to the data.
• Possession: Physical control of the data should be with the First Nation or Indigenous-controlled steward, or otherwise with a third party data steward (decided upon by the Indigenous community or Nation) who will ensure the principles of ownership, control, and access are upheld. 

The First Nations Information Governance Centre offer this guide, which goes into further detail, and the video below. 

The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance guide the use of Indigenous data and reflect the importance of data to Indigenous self-determination:

• Collective Benefit: Indigenous Peoples should benefit from the data and the research aligns with the needs and goals of the community.
• Authority to Control: Indigenous Peoples have agency to make decisions regarding data governance and how they are represented in the data. Indigenous data must be accessible to Indigenous communities.
• Responsibility: Researchers are accountable to Indigenous communities and must be able to demonstrate how their use of Indigenous data benefits the Indigenous Peoples and their self-determination. Evidence of benefits must be shared and resources must be grounded in Indigenous language and worldviews.
• Ethics: Indigenous rights and wellbeing are central during all stages of the data lifecycle. Risk assessments must be considered from an Indigenous perspective. 

Canada's Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy affirms that data related to research by and with First Nations, Métis, or Inuit must be managed in accordance with principles developed and/or approved by these communities. Data management plans (DMPs) should recognize Indigenous data sovereignty and include options for renegotiation of the DMP. 

• Research Data Management 2. Indigenous Research - Describes how this policy relates to the management of Indigenous research, knowledge and data

• Strengthening Indigenous Research Capacity - A strategic plan for the development of an Indigenous research and research training model

First Nations Information Governance Centre: The FNIGC manages and provides access to the Fundamentals of OCAP training course as well as providing oversight on a number of national survey initiatives focusing on First Nations and Indigenous peoples. They also work on transform these into knowledge products including videos, infographics, and research reports. 

BC Regional Information Governance Initiative: The BC RIGC advances data sovereignty as a foundational enabler to the right of self-government and self-determination through the provision of knowledge, skills, and infrastructure needed to serve the information needs of First Nations governments.

Indigenous Data Sovereignty: Toward an Agenda: This book explores how the data rights and interests of Indigenous peoples can be secured through data sovereignty and governance against the backdrop of the "data revolution". 

Nindokiikayencikewin: to seek learning or Knowledges: Indigenous Knowledges & Data Governance Protocol: This protocol outlines a model for approaching the use of Indigenous knowledge and data in research at the community, funder, and ecosystem model. 

Operationalising Indigenous data sovereignty in environmental research and governance: This article presents a case study for intercultural environmental collaborations that allow Indigenous peoples to reinvigorate dormant cultural practices relating to resource and land management while respecting their right to data sovereignty and governance. 

CARE Data Principles, Indigenous data, Data related to Indigenous Peoples and Interest: This primer from the Data Curation Network uses the CARE principles as a framework for the nitty-gritty of data curation, presenting questions that should be asked about the deposit and governance of Indigenous data.