Taking Control of Our Data: A Discussion Paper on Indigenous Data Governance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Communities

Lowitja Institute is proud to publish ‘Taking Control of Our Data: A Discussion Paper on Indigenous Data Governance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People and Communities‘ – our first Policy Discussion Paper for 2024.

Developed by the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective, a network of leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers who advocate for the rights of our peoples and our nations in relation to data, this paper aims to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and organisations to realise Indigenous Data Sovereignty by putting Indigenous Data Governance into practice.

The paper includes a structured, practical tool to guide our organisations through the processes involved in embedding Indigenous Data Governance at the community level. This was shaped around key priorities emerging from the 2^nd National Indigenous Data Sovereignty Summit in June 2023. This tool is a brand-new addition to the Indigenous Data Sovereignty literature in this country, and we are thrilled to share it with our sector and communities.

Read the discussion paper

Background

The Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective (Maiam nayri Wingara) is a collective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academics who advocate for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and nations in relation to data, informed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).

The global Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement is Indigenous-led and focused on the rights of Indigenous people to govern the creation, collection, ownership, and application of their data. UNDRIP details throughout its 46 Articles the rights Indigenous people have concerning Indigenous data. The term ‘Indigenous data’ refers to all information or knowledge, in any format or medium, which is about and may affect Indigenous peoples both individually and collectively.

Webinar

On 31 January 2023, Lowitja Institute will host an Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Indigenous Data Governance webinar to be facilitated by Maiam nayri Wingara representatives, Worimi man and University of Tasmania’s Associate Dean Indigenous for the College of Arts, Law and Education (CALE), Dr Jacob Prehn, and Muruwari/Gangugari woman and Adjunct Research Fellow School of Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania, Dr Cassandra Price.