About Resource
Indigenous peoples have the right to make decisions surrounding data with their own values and collective interests at heart. The Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) formed the CARE principles to promote data sovereignty for Indigenous Peoples worldwide. These principles build upon the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, which push for open-source data movements to prioritize people and purpose. The CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) center these priorities while also taking into account historical context and power structures that shape the current state of data production and use among Indigenous Peoples. Colonial power structures have long taken agency away from Indigenous Peoples in both the production and use of their own data; Indigenous self-determination in the realm of data is thus critical for self-governance.
How to Use
The CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance are useful to Indigenous organizations, those who work in collaboration with Indigenous communities, and those who are interested in engaging with Indigenous communities on scientific work. For a brief description of these principles, it is possible to download a summary sheet in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Māori, German, and Khmer. For more specific information about the desired outcomes of each CARE Principle, a full copy is also available on the site below.
These principles are meant to be used together to promote Indigenous data sovereignty. The full document contains specific goals for each principle, which can serve as guides for science organizations that already work with Indigenous communities to evaluate their practices and data-usage. For example, the E of CARE, Ethics, calls for future use of data–whether potential future harm is possible–to be taken into account when designing data ecosystems. Organizations can use this goal as a question to reassess their work with Indigenous communities and data–have they considered all the potential impacts? Was true collaboration occurring, or has the process been primarily extractive and potentially harmful? Asking these questions, and making changes depending on the answers, can help organizations develop stronger relationships with Indigenous partners and potentially promote data-sovereignty.
Author(s)/Organization: Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic
Publication Year: 2020
Tags
Attributes:Aims for Action, Centers Community Priorities, Shares Leadership
Outcomes:Ethical Decision-Making, Increased Science Agency, Strong Community Partnerships
Approaches:Civic Engagement & Policymaking, Participatory Research
Type:Reports & Articles