Indigenous Data: Refers to any kind of information collected by, with, or about Indigenous people. This can come in forms such as text, numbers, symbols, images, videos, etc. The data can be about their land, water, or culture. (NCRIS, 2022)
Dealing with Indigenous Data in your research will require additional responsibilites. Some notable guiding principles and resources include:
The above is copied from https://rdm.mcmaster.ca/secure#tab-human-participant-data on February 24, 2025.
Research engaging with or involving Indigenous communities in any way has specific responsibilities. Primarily, data sovereignty is determined by a First Nations, Inuit, or Métis community first. You also have obligations under policy and ethical guidelines, including best practices and requirements for conducting Indigenous research as outlined by Tri-Agency frameworks and, as applicable, institutional policies.
Thus, a data management plan should be co-developed with the Indigenous communities that your research involves or created by the researcher for approval by the community. Some communities have their own data management protocols that a researcher must complete. If you are creating a DMP for an Indigenous research project or working with Indigenous data, some questions to ask yourself are:
For additional guidance, check out the following resources:
The above is copied from https://rdm.mcmaster.ca/plan#tab-building-your-dmp on February 24, 2025.
The First Nations Principles of Ownership, Control, Access and Possession (OCAP®)
First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). A First Nations Data Governance Strategy March 31, 2020.
Inuit Tapiriiti Kanatami (ITK) and Nunavut Research Institute Negotiating Research Relationships with Inuit Communities: A Guide for Researchers
National Aboriginal Health Organization’s Principles of Ethical Métis Research and What Researchers Need from Métis Communities
Global Indigenous Data CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance