There are various definitions of Indigenous data, data sovereignty, and research, which translates to variability in how communities and researchers should best manage and approach these important concepts. To understand what First Nations Peoples experience, our team will collaborate among researchers, scholars, and First Nation communities to hold talking circles (virtual and in-person) to ask First Nations Peoples the following questions:

1. What does data mean to you? (Probe: are there specific things that would be considered data like stories, beadwork, songs, or is it more like interviews, photos, and surveys? Do you consider your observations as data?)

2. What does it mean to you for First Nations peoples and communities to have control over data?

3. What do you think research is? (Probe: what do you observe or make decisions based on?)

4. How should data and research be managed and stored when it comes to First Nations-specific data and/or research? (Probe: should the participants hold the data or the researcher or a First Nations organization? Are there other ways to store the data and research?)

5. *If time permits* Have you heard the term ‘data sovereignty’? What does that mean to you?

 

Indigenous Peoples have been “researched to death” over the past century; specifically, many Indigenous scholars like Vine Deloria, Marie Battiste, and Shawn Wilson state that there are many researchers who come to First Nations communities and/or organizations without building meaningful relationships and get their data without explaining the purpose, findings, or how to use these for the benefit of Indigenous Peoples. Weber-Pilwax (2001) stated, “I’m an Indigenous person; therefore, what I’m doing is going to be Indigenous research” (p. 168). As an Indigenous scholar, I see the work of Indigenous researchers, scholars and educators as conducting research WITH community and “…must not destroy or in any way negatively implicate or compromise my own personal integrity as a person, as a human being” (p. 168). Post-secondary degrees, including courses I teach, discuss the principles of OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession), CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics), and FAIR (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse of digital assets) principles, and other components of doing research WITH NOT ON, Indigenous Peoples and communities. BUT definitions concerning data, research, management is, do not necessarily reflect all First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. The existing definitions do not show distinctions of First Nations (i.e., Plains Cree, Algonquin, Coast Salish, Mi’kmaq, etc.) and how they would define these concepts. “Neither researcher or research is well defined in Western research training (Datta, 2013 p. 2). It is from these perspectives that as a First Nations researcher, scholar, community member and educator, I want to hear, experience and learn how First Nations Peoples from across Canada define these important scholarly concepts which are the foundation of OCAP, CARE, FAIR and reciprocity in critically interacting with Indigenous data, research, management of this leading to true Indigenous data sovereignty. Many Indigenous scholars across the globe have defined data “…include data generated by Indigenous Peoples, as well as by governments and other institutions, on and about Indigenous Peoples and territories” (Carroll et al, 2020; p. 2), research “…in any field or discipline that is conducted by, 

grounded in or engaged with First Nations, Inuit, Métis or other Indigenous nations, communities, societies or individuals, and their wisdom, cultures, experiences or knowledge systems, as expressed in their dynamic forms, past and present. Indigenous research can embrace the intellectual, physical, emotional, and/or spiritual dimensions of knowledge in creative and interconnected relationships with people, places and the natural environment” (SSHRC Indigenous Advisory Circle, 2021), and data management defined as “the processes applied through the lifecycle of a research project to guide the collections, documentation, storage, sharing and preservation of research data” (Government of Canada 2024). These definitions all have similar language that is deeply rooted in settler colonial capitalism. The definition of Indigenous research incorporates an Indigenous worldview, but these definitions need to be grounded by the very Peoples that we are doing research with – “First Nations”. This project creates an opportunity to discuss First Nations data governance and sovereignty defined by First Nations Peoples. Language is as important as the steps and actions of research.

Finally, First Nations communities are often burdened with high volumes of researchers interested in research. This stresses the importance of empowering community-specific voices in defining what research is for them. There exists a knowledge gap between researchers and communities which can be extremely harmful and detrimental for the distinct First Nation communities as it may result in pan-Indigenization, misrepresentation and lack of relevant research processes, management and outcomes. To assist, I have developed a Research Decision Tree and Toolkit is to help inform and guide First Nations Peoples about key factors that may ensure community-specific and culturally safe research is being conducted. Through providing these resources and toolkits, this can reduce the duplication of effort from the community’s perspective in addressing how to effectively work with researchers to benefit both the community and the researchers.