International indigenous data - YouTube

RDA P23 session held on 14th of November 2024

Technology

Indigenous Communities

Data Sovereignty

Cultural Heritage

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Introduction to Local Contexts and Land Acknowledgement

Local Contexts is a software and web development organization focused on addressing the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism.
The organization works with indigenous communities to establish cultural authority and data sovereignty in cultural heritage spaces and data repositories.
Local Contexts started as a research project and became an independent nonprofit organization in 2002.
The organization has a team composed of council members and staff in North America and New Zealand.
Local Contexts' labels and notices, such as Traditional Knowledge labels and Biocultural labels, have gained widespread interest and application globally.

Introduction to the Local Context System and its Purpose

Local Context System is used by institutions and researchers interested in utilizing digital labeling tools.
The system is primarily used in North America and Oceana, with increasing interest in Latin America.
Indigenous data collections held by institutions often lack vital information or contain incorrect data due to colonial legacy.
Indigenous communities have limited control over their materials and lack sovereignty due to outdated intellectual property laws.
Indigenous communities seek to intervene and interrupt these systems through the Local Context System.
The Local Context System follows the care principles, which focus on indigenous data sovereignty and benefit sharing.
Labels and notices are digital labeling tools developed by the Local Context System.
Labels are used by communities, while notices are used by institutions and researchers.
The tools can be applied in various contexts such as databases, archival records, websites, and more.
Examples of the tools in use will be shared, and more examples can be found on the website linked in the collaborative docs.

Notices for Indigenous Collections and Data

The notices were developed to create pathways for partnership, collaboration, and support for indigenous communities.
They help make indigenous data and collections visible so that communities can access and participate in the decision-making process.
The notices are categorized into engagement, disclosure, and collections care.
The engagement notice is for institutions and researchers to commit to ethical reciprocal engagement with indigenous communities.
The disclosure notices are for identifying and sharing indigenous collections, as well as disclosing any errors or discrepancies.
The collections care notices are designed for physical collections in storage outside of communities, indicating the need for specialized cultural care.
The notices are applied by institutions and researchers to clearly identify indigenous rights and responsibilities without defining what those rights and responsibilities are.
The notices have standardized titles, descriptions, and icons for easy identification.
The main text of the notices is simplified and available in multiple languages.

Collaboration and Ethical Relationships in Online Collections Platforms

Platforms committed to collaboration and ethical relationships.
Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields is using the open to collaborate notice attribution and complete BC and TK notices in their online collections platform.
Notices have been added to items within the African South Pacific and Native Arts of the Americas collections.
Integration of notices as part of their online collections portal overhaul.
Updates to technical infrastructure and existing systems allow for possibilities of labels to be added in the future.
Notices are placed below photos and basic identifying information and above detailed artwork metadata.
Labels support indigenous communities in reinserting cultural authority and sovereignty into these spaces.
Labels clearly state provenance protocols and permissions of materials.
Labels are assigned by communities and consistent with existing community rules and protocols.
Labels aim to support acknowledgement, attribution, indigenous authorship, access, authority, sovereignty, and institutional accountability.
Labels are flexible and can be applied to websites, databases, or specific items of cultural heritage dataset.
Labels serve as visible indicators of ongoing significance to the communities.

Examples of Labels and their Applications in Indigenous Communities

Four Wabanaki Nations in Maine customized a label for a research project spanning multiple Nations' homelands.
The TK seasonal label is used to connect knowledge and land, indicating seasonal associations with the material or data.
The TK non-commercial label is used to indicate that the material or data cannot be used for non-commercial purposes.
Communities can customize the title and description of the labels, but the icons remain the same.
Labels can be translated into indigenous languages to assert rights over the items.
Manaki Fenua Landcare Research in New Zealand applied a BC notice to over 700,000 digitized specimen records, recognizing the provenance of the communities.
TAC Toia applied four labels (BC provenance, BC research, BC open to collaboration, BC open to commercialization) to specimens collected from their lands, indicating permissions and asserting their rights.
Fakoya's Wa app uses the TK verified label for songs and chants, indicating that the information is verified.

The Local Context Hub and Project Creation on the Hub

The Local Context Hub is a tool developed to facilitate the application of traditional knowledge labels and notices.
Indigenous communities can customize and apply their labels and notices on the Hub.
The Hub allows institutions and researchers to generate and apply notices to relevant collections and data.
There are different types of accounts on the Hub, including community, institution, researcher, and upcoming service provider accounts.
Projects on the Hub are created to describe what a notice or label is being applied to.
Project metadata, such as title, description, and contact information, is added to provide a clear understanding of the project's purpose.
The Hub is not meant to be a data repository but refers to data and materials held outside of it.
Additional project information, like links and identifiers, can be added along with collaborators.

New Feature: Project Boundary and Customizable Labels in the Hub

The boundary feature is still a work in progress, but it aims to indicate the project scope in order to help communities find their items.
This feature provides more provenance information and allows communities to add their voice through customized labels.
Institutions can notify the community about a project on the Hub, and community members can apply their own customized labels to the project.
Label customization process involves selecting a label, adding text in any language, audio files, and multiple translations.
Customized labels require review by another community member for approval or edits.
Once approved, the labels can be applied to projects, regardless of the notices applied by institutions or researchers.
The community can select from four project statuses: acknowledge the notice, labels pending, no labels pending, or labels applied.
Community members have the right to decide not to apply any labels to a project.
Labels applied to a project will include all translations and customized text.

Integration of Labels and Notices in Genome and Other Databases

Genome integrates with the Hub's API to communicate and display notices and labels from projects.
Projects in the Hub are assigned a unique identifier used to pull information on associated labels and notices through the API.
The labels and notices are automatically updated in Genome when connected to the Hub.
The Mora Bio Code project in the Hub has inherited labels added by the community, which are displayed in Genome.
The project metadata in the API includes standard fields that can be mapped onto other metadata structures.
Existing fields like rights fields can be used to store labels and notices in databases, but they may not always be the best fit.
Some databases may opt to create custom fields for adding labels and notices to better accommodate indigenous rights.

The Need for Standardization of Indigenous Data Labels in Metadata

Labels and notices associated with indigenous data can be easily ignored if not added to existing fields that multiple systems expect to see.
Makaki Fena and GBIF have been experiencing issues with their labels and notices because they are not being pulled by certain systems.
One solution is to utilize already existing fields in metadata that specify how data can be used, such as mapping labels and notices into schema.org.
The mappings between labels and schema.org fields are still being drafted but are close to completion.
The goal is to create a crosswalk between schema.org and Darwin core to allow for the incorporation of labels and notices by GBIF.
These recommendations aim to make the labels machine actionable and allow for greater control over the application and use of indigenous data.
The World Data System International Technology Office encourages repositories to integrate tools like local contexts to support the care principles.
Indigenous peoples play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation, as highlighted by the recent article 8j at the Coalition of Parties for Biodiversity.

Mission and Activities of the World Data System

The mission of the World Data System is to enhance the capabilities, impact, and sustainability of member data repositories and data services.
This is achieved through the creation of trusted communities of scientific data repositories and strengthening the scientific enterprise.
The World Data System advocates for accessible data and transparent and reproducible science.
The organization has a membership of approximately 140 members worldwide and is continually expanding its geospatial and multidisciplinary footprint.
The World Data System has two main offices, one in Canada and the other at the University of Tennessee.
A recent paper highlights the implementation of the CARE principles in data repositories, with four categories of activities: situational awareness, outreach, repository protocols, and technology.
The integration of schema.org metadata in the ocean data and information system is being pursued, with the Earth System Information Partners and the Polar Data Search involved in the work.
Otis, a harvester system based on schema.org, plays a significant role in representing the ocean's digital representation as part of the ocean decade challenge.

Updates on Schema.org, Polar Data Search, and International Discussions

Schema.org documentation is being developed to ensure compatibility with other systems.
The documentation will include guidance on representing local context.
Polar Data Search is expanding its search portal and adding labels for better visibility.
The convention on biological diversity supports the preservation of traditional knowledge and benefit sharing for genetic resources.
Data repositories will play a crucial role in enabling benefit sharing and acknowledging indigenous communities.
A new document on digital sequence information promotes open access, fair practices, and trust principles.
Local context metadata can support traceability and ensure the involvement of indigenous communities.

Hub Agreements and Service Provider Program

The Hub agreements include a service provider agreement for managing repositories.
The service provider agreement helps repositories implement local context labels and notices.
The service provider program offers hands-on support and documentation for integrating labels and notices into platforms.
Contact info@localcontext.org or support@localcontext.org to explore the service provider program.
The program is open to repositories worldwide and there is a fee associated with it.

Local Context Subscription and Membership Options

Service Provider:
$1,500 per year fee.
Certification process upon completion.
Receive a certification and listing on the website.
Supports indigenous data sovereignty.
Hub Agreements:
Subscriber:
Organizations like museums, libraries, etc.
Seek to generate notices.
Different fees based on the institution.
Researcher:
Free individual account.
Option to upgrade to an institution account for a fee.
Member Agreements:
Indigenous Community entities or representatives.
Free accounts to become part of the governance of Local Context.
Eligible for nomination for the governing Council.
Elections process starts in 2025.
Support and Scaling:
Encourages organizations to become subscribers for support.
Goal of fully indigenous governing Council.
Collaboration with service providers for platform implementation.
Contact:
Support at localcontext.org for inquiries.
More information on the website.

Open to Collaboration and Discussion on Local Context Integration

We are available to help institutions, researchers, and communities get started on the Hub.
Reach out to us with any questions or to start a discussion.
Discussion questions include the implementation of local context labels and notices, the utilization of metadata schemas without local context integration, and the possibility of providing workshops for repository personnel to explore the Hub tool and API.
There is interest in engaging South American researchers and indigenous communities in the work on local context integration.

Strategies for Introducing Local Contexts to Communities and Institutions

Create a template letter in English and Spanish to introduce the community or specific council members to local contexts and the work being done.
Develop packets of labels with template text in English and Spanish for communities without stable internet access, which can be printed or saved as a PDF for offline use.
Encourage communities to customize the labels and add them to the Hub themselves or request assistance from local contexts.
Foster interest in local contexts through collaborations with institutions, researchers, and presentations that adapt the labels and notices.
Organize joint workshops, either in-person or virtual, to expose researchers and indigenous communities to the tools and initiate conversations.
Consider implementing the CARE principles and creating policies at an organizational level to support this work, although challenges may arise in institutions with diverse research areas and individual researcher initiatives.

Discussion on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Citizen Science in Brazil

Indigenous data sovereignty is a new concept in Brazil, and there are policies being developed to address it.
Public universities in Brazil, such as Univers National, have experience working with and in indigenous territories, but haven't yet considered indigenous data sovereignty.
The idea of citizen science, where indigenous communities collect and contribute scientific data, is new and there is a desire to involve indigenous students in such initiatives.
The current user base for data notices in Brazil is primarily researchers within institutions, but efforts are being made to ensure long-term continuity of the work beyond individual researchers.
The Hub recommends including project page links or ID numbers with data notices to maintain connections and prevent disconnection between researchers and indigenous communities.

Suggestions for Including Indigenous Data Governance in Research Practices

Researchers should prioritize incorporating indigenous voices and perspectives from the beginning of the research process.
Data management plans should include considerations for indigenous data governance, potentially by embedding it in templates or working with researchers during the planning stage.
Citizen science initiatives can involve indigenous communities by allowing them to collect and upload data, creating partnerships with local communities, or collaborating with nonprofit organizations and citizen scientists.
The RDA standard for machine actionable data management plans includes a module for indigenous data sovereignty and the implementation of care principles.
Participants are encouraged to add their information to the collaborative notes and reach out with any questions or concerns. Contact information can be found in the collaborative document or by emailing support at local contact.org.

Local Contexts and the Local Context System: Addressing Settler Colonialism and Indigenous Data Sovereignty.

Local Contexts is a software and web development organization focused on addressing the ongoing legacy of settler colonialism.
The organization works with indigenous communities to establish cultural authority and data sovereignty in cultural heritage spaces and data repositories.
Local Contexts started as a research project and became an independent nonprofit organization in 2002.
The organization has a team composed of council members and staff in North America and New Zealand.
Local Contexts' labels and notices, such as Traditional Knowledge labels and Biocultural labels, have gained widespread interest and application globally.
Local Context System is used by institutions and researchers interested in utilizing digital labeling tools.
The system is primarily used in North America and Oceania, with increasing interest in Latin America.
Indigenous data collections held by institutions often lack vital information or contain incorrect data due to colonial legacy.
Indigenous communities have limited control over their materials and lack sovereignty due to outdated intellectual property laws.
The Local Context System follows the care principles, which focus on indigenous data sovereignty and benefit sharing.
Labels and notices are digital labeling tools developed by the Local Context System.
Labels are used by communities, while notices are used by institutions and researchers.
The tools can be applied in various contexts such as databases, archival records, websites, and more.
The notices were developed to create pathways for partnership, collaboration, and support for indigenous communities.
The notices are categorized into engagement, disclosure, and collections care.
The engagement notice is for institutions and researchers to commit to ethical reciprocal engagement with indigenous communities.
The disclosure notices are for identifying and sharing indigenous collections, as well as disclosing any errors or discrepancies.

Integrating Labels and Notices for Indigenous Data

The boundary feature aims to indicate project scope and provide provenance information.
Customized labels can be added by communities and require review for approval.
Labels can be applied to projects, regardless of notices applied by institutions or researchers.
Community members can select from four project statuses: acknowledge notice, labels pending, no labels pending, or labels applied.
Labels and notices are automatically updated in Genome when connected to the Hub.
Existing metadata fields can be used to store labels and notices, but custom fields may be better for indigenous rights.
Mappings between labels and schema.org fields are being drafted to allow for incorporation of labels and notices by GBIF.
The World Data System advocates for accessible data and transparent science.
The organization has approximately 140 members worldwide.
The CARE principles are being implemented in data repositories through situational awareness, outreach, protocols, and technology.
Schema.org metadata is being integrated into the ocean data and information system.
Otis, a harvester system based on schema.org, represents the ocean's digital representation.
Polar Data Search is expanding its search portal and adding labels for better visibility.
Data repositories play a crucial role in enabling benefit sharing and acknowledging indigenous communities.
The service provider program helps repositories implement local context labels and notices.

Local Context Service Provider and Membership Information.

Service Provider: $1,500 per year fee. Certification process for listing on the website.
Hub Agreements: Different fees for subscribers based on institution type. Researchers have free individual accounts and the option to upgrade.
Member Agreements: Free accounts for Indigenous Community entities. Eligible for nomination for the governing Council.
Support and Scaling: Encourages organizations to become subscribers for support. Collaboration with service providers for implementation.
Contact: Support at localcontext.org for inquiries. More information on the website.
Discussion: Topics include local context labels, metadata schemas, workshops, engaging South American researchers and Indigenous communities.
Template letter: English and Spanish introductions to Local Context and its work.
Label packets: English and Spanish templates for communities without stable internet access.
Foster interest: Collaborations, presentations, joint workshops to engage institutions and researchers.
Indigenous data sovereignty in Brazil: New concept, policies being developed.
Citizen science and indigenous communities: Desire to involve indigenous students, connect researchers and communities.
Prioritizing indigenous voices: Incorporate from the beginning, embed in data management plans.