Reclaiming Data, Reclaiming Culture: Indigenous Self-Determination in Digital Research Infrastructure

Effective data governance is critical to Indigenous self-determination, and decision-making that consequently affects the lives of Indigenous individuals, families, and communities.  The principle, "nothing about us, without us" underscores the importance of Indigenous engagement in every aspect of data governance. However, historical practices by early explorers, linguists, anthropologists and other researchers have more often violated these rights, leading to the ever-present mistrust of institutions now responsible for the custodianship of Indigenous data/ invaluable cultural heritage.

Currently, Indigenous data assets face vulnerabilities such as loss, limited discoverability, and misuse, including duplication and the over-researching of communities. Indigenous epistemologies have not been authentically valued and embraced within the design of open science principles, contributing to the disproportionate underrepresentation of Indigenous voices within the global scientific discourse.

More recently, global and local collaborations have amplified the perspectives of Indigenous data practitioners, helping to shape frameworks that align with Indigenous worldviews. This shift is aimed at fostering greater autonomy and agency, allowing communities to derive value from data in ways that respect their priorities and cultural ways of being.

How do we ensure the centrality of Indigenous ways of knowing and being within decision-making practices and what does ‘open access’ mean when it comes to the responsible stewardship of Indigenous data?

This presentation explores the role of digital research infrastructures, such as the Language Data Commons of Australia (LDaCA) and the HASS & Indigenous Research Data Commons (HASS & I RDC), in supporting the reclamation and preservation of Indigenous cultural heritage. By enhancing metadata and accessibility, we advocate for a responsive Indigenous data ecosystem that meets contemporary research needs while prioritising the needs of Indigenous communities.

Keynote Title: From Passive Absorption to Empowered Co-Creation: A Journey into the World of Open Knowledge

In this presentation, I hope to broaden attendees' perspectives on the transformative power of open. Drawing from my personal journey, I will illustrate how opencommunity science initiatives, digital libraries and archives and the Wikiverse have not only fostered lifelong learning but also facilitated the collaborative creation of knowledge that benefits all. I will delve into the significance of community openness and highlight how attitudes of generosity and inclusiveness have inspired me to engage in knowledge co-creation. I will also explore how community openness can elevate the recognition of Mātauranga Māori (Māori ways of knowing) and how this impacts the sharing of indigenous knowledge. Furthermore, I will examine how embracing openness as a practice can become a fundamental aspect of both personal and professional life. I will share insights on how adopting an open approach has transformed me into a dedicated advocate for openness, how the practice of openness influences project priorities and can enhance the proactive dissemination of knowledge across multiple platforms.

Keynote Title: Open to Social Justice Transformation: What has higher education got to do with it?

In this keynote, I explore socio-personal histories of open higher education in conversation with commitments to facilitate social justice transformation. More specifically I consider the role of higher education in being-and-doing ‘open’ and how this relates to struggles over the right to knowledge, knowing and learning. A line of questioning I pursue is: what are the implications of different articulations of open-ness for the capacity of higher education to contribute to social justice transformation – and what constitutes, limits and enables this? Considering the possibilities for higher education to open up time, space and resources for equitable participation in transformative processes, I argue it is time for social justice praxis, drawing on my new book with Dr Matt Lumb. My overarching aim is to utilise the keynote for collective questioning of the possibilities for open-ing education for social justice transformation.