Indigenous Data

It is critical that research involving Indigenous data be based on respectful relationships between researchers and Indigenous communities. 

The First Nations principles of OCAP® define First Nations data as encompassing “data from First Nations, including languages, cultures, knowledge, stories, songs, and ceremonies, data about First Nations such as demographics, housing, health, economies, labor, education, and data on or about First Nations lands and resources, which includes waters, medicines, and animals.” 

Inuit, Métis, or other Indigenous communities (both within and outside Canada) may define their data differently; researchers should work towards understanding and respecting those definitions when developing research projects that may involve those peoples and their data.

Core principles

UBC Library supports Indigenous data sovereignty and follows these key frameworks:

• OCAP® principles

  • Ownership, Control, Access, Possession — First Nations hold full rights over their data.

  • OCAP^® certifications are available through the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). OCAP^® is a registered trademark of the FNIGC.
    
    

• CARE principles (Global Indigenous Data Alliance)

  • Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics — Emphasizes community governance and ethical stewardship.

  • Please visit the Global Indigenous Data Alliance website to learn more about the CARE Principles.

    
    
• UBC Indigenous data governance (via IRSI)
  • Professional support and services for Indigenous research collaborations
  • UBC IRSI Staff Contacts
    

Best practices for researchers

• Engage communities early and co-develop governance agreements.
• Respect community protocols and consent throughout the data lifecycle.
• Avoid uploading Indigenous data to our data repositories without community approval.

• Use UBC-approved secure storage and follow OCAP® and CARE guidelines.

UBC Library works with Indigenous communities, and we have dozens of Indigenous datasets in our UBC Dataverse Collection (Borealis) repository. Please contact us for details and assistance.