- Lisa Hodgetts, The University of Western Ontario
Indigenous data sovereignty, the right to steward and control data created with them or about them, is an important aspect of Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to self-determination. Across the land we now call Canada, Indigenous belongings have been and continue to be removed from Indigenous cultural sites by archaeologists. With few exceptions, archaeological survey and excavation, the rights of stewardship and control of the extracted objects, and all associated information, are governed by legislation that asserts colonial government (provincial/territorial or federal) control over them. While discussions about repatriating/rematriating Ancestors’ remains and cultural belongings to Indigenous communities have been ongoing for decades, we are just beginning to seriously consider the important role of data governance – the strategies, policies and laws dealing with data collection, management, preservation, curation, accessibility and ownership – in those conversations. This session invites diverse contributions exploring the movement towards Indigenous data sovereignty in the cultural heritage realm. What are the implications for heritage management within Indigenous organizations/governments, settler governments and the commercial sector? How does upholding Indigenous data sovereignty reorient archaeological, cultural heritage and digital heritage research? What does it mean for digital data management? We welcome submissions of case studies and broader reflections that engage with these questions and other related themes.