Indigenous data sovereignty and conservation in British Columbia

Indigenous Peoples and communities have been stewards of their lands and waters for millennia, and as a result, have developed deep place-based knowledge systems. It is only recently, however, that Western scientists are beginning to recognize that the knowledge and wisdom held by Indigenous Peoples is at once scientific, spiritual, holistic, and action-oriented. While this recognition is long overdue, it is also pressuring Indigenous Peoples to use their lands and knowledge systems to solve environmental crises that are not of their making. The open data movement is one such pressure.

A new collaborative study, by a group including First Nations knowledge holders from across British Columbia, technical staff working for BC First Nations, and researchers at UBC and SFU, examined the concept of Indigenous data sovereignty in the context of salmon-bearing ecosystems in BC. Using salmon as a case study, the authors argue that successful conservation in the face of cumulative effects and climate change will require scientists to respect and incorporate Indigenous data sovereignty.

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