The University of Queensland in Brisbane
Indigenous Data sovereignty (UQHDR #1 (PhD) Year 2)
Based at the University of Queensland, this PhD research will undertake research with the Training Centre industry and Indigenous partner organisations to explore how the concept and practice of Indigenous data sovereignty applies to the extractive industries. The project may range over novel forms of IP protection, technical means of selective data protection, institutional policies in Australia and beyond, or other topics the candidate can demonstrate to be of relevance to the application of the data sovereignty concept to cultural heritage protection in the extractive industries.
Contemporary concepts of Indigenous data sovereignty emerged in the 1990s from the groundbreaking work of Canadian First Nations communities who were responding to poor data practices and exclusion. They were frustrated by non-Indigenous data users speaking with authority about the health of First Nations peoples. A global Indigenous data sovereignty movement has since emerged, that has moved beyond health with a subsequent raft of principles (including OCAP), networks and collectives which, in Australia, includes the Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective.
In the context of the extractive industries, the mechanisms for building and sharing cultural heritage knowledge have historically been deeply inequitable with the industry holding vast libraries of cultural heritage survey data, as well as material culture. Each mining company and Indigenous representative body have varying systems and capabilities in managing this data – including material culture management. This project has the potential to develop leading practice in Indigenous data management and support the establishment of mechanisms for repatriation of data and materials.
