Indigneous Data Sovereignt CRGBA Toolkit

The Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has developed a toolkit to support individuals, organizations, communities, and governments in using data in ways that uphold Indigenous data sovereignty and promote inclusive, culturally grounded practices, recognizing that data is not neutral but reflects power, values, and systems.

The key findings are that Indigenous data sovereignty is essential to ensure that data about Indigenous peoples is governed in ways that respect their inherent rights, and that data sovereignty principles provide a framework to ensure that data is collected, accessed, interpreted, shared, and stored in ways that support community priorities and well-being. The key findings highlight the need for ethical data collection practices that prioritize Indigenous data sovereignty, including the incorporation of FPIC, trauma-informed approaches, and data minimization.