TaMIS recently discussed the concept of indigenous data sovereignty—the principle that indigenous peoples should have control over data originating from their communities, lands, or knowledge. The discussion included students, faculty, and staff from Penn State, and focused on acknowledgement and ownership of indigenous data.

Key Takeaways:

1. There is a lack of resources at PSU
   Participants observed that there are few resources or precedents in place for how Penn State researchers can navigate indigenous data.
2. How do we value indigenous data?
   A couple key questions emerged from our discussion: How much is indigenous data worth? and How much would you pay for it? Monetary payments could create inequity, with wealthier institutions or research groups gaining more access to indigenous data. Other forms of compensation could include bringing non-monetary benefits to communities, particularly through sharing new knowledge.
3. Tensions between open data and data sovereignty
   Open data can be commercialized and the communities from which it originates typically receive little to no benefit (although this affects both indigenous and non-indigenous groups). However, putting data behind barriers limits scientific progress. Participants agreed that the goal should be to maintain open access to data while acknowledging and, as much as possible, compensating those from whom the data is derived.

Actionable Items:

Increasing awareness of projects like Local Contexts, which seeks to create stronger connections between researchers and indigenous groups, may allow for greater control of indigenous data by their communities and ensure researchers treat that data and those communities with respect.