The Indigenous World 2026: Indigenous Data Sovereignty
Indigenous Peoples have always been “data warriors”.[1] Their ancient traditions recorded and protected information and knowledge through art, carving, song, chants, and other practices. Deliberate efforts to expunge these knowledge systems were part and parcel of colonization, along with state-imposed practices of counting and classifying Indigenous populations. As a result, Indigenous Peoples often encounter severe data deficits when trying to access high-quality, culturally-relevant data to pursue their goals. Meanwhile there is an abundance of data that reflects and serves government interests regarding Indigenous Peoples and their lands.
The concept of Indigenous data sovereignty is a relatively recent one, with the first major publication on the topic only appearing in 2016.[2] Indigenous data sovereignty is defined as the right of Indigenous Peoples to own, control, access and possess data that derive from them, and which pertain to Nation membership, knowledge systems, customs, or territories.[3],[4],[5] Indigenous data sovereignty is supported by Indigenous Peoples’ inherent rights to self-determination and governance over Indigenous Peoples, territories, and resources as affirmed in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), as well as in domestic treaties. Indigenous data sovereignty recognizes that data is a strategic resource and provides a framework for the ethical use of data to advance collective Indigenous well-being and self-determination.[6],[7]
In practice, Indigenous data sovereignty means that Indigenous Peoples need to be the decision-makers around how data about them are used. Given that most Indigenous data is not currently in the possession of Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous data governance is seen as a key lever for addressing Indigenous data sovereignty. Indigenous data governance harnesses Indigenous Peoples’ values, rights, and interests to guide decision-making about how their data are collected, accessed, stored, and used.[8] Enacting Indigenous data governance results in Indigenous control of Indigenous data through both internal Indigenous community data governance policies and practices, and in governing external stewardship of Indigenous data via mechanisms and frameworks that reflect Indigenous values.
This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here
Introduction
2025 saw continued operationalization of Indigenous data sovereignty, alongside major challenges. The definition and understanding of Indigenous data sovereignty continued to be refined, while the principles established in key works, including the CARE Principles,[9] advanced with a focus on implementation. The Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Conference,[10] held in Canberra in April 2025, brought together over 250 Indigenous Peoples’ representatives from around the globe to assess a decade of progress in the Indigenous data sovereignty movement.[11] The conference emphasized that, while foundational rights frameworks, principles and protocols are now established, the urgent challenge remains that of addressing the systemic barriers that keep the vast majority of Indigenous data under the control of non-Indigenous nation-states and institutions. The conference produced a communiqué[12] identifying three foundational actions for effective Indigenous data sovereignty: advancing Indigenous data priorities, addressing systemic barriers to Indigenous data governance, and building Indigenous data capability.
International mechanisms, including within the UN system, strengthened and reiterated the importance of data as a fundamental aspect of Indigenous self-determination and human rights. The Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) integrated this into its 18th session, presenting and adopting its draft study, Right of Indigenous Peoples to Data, Including with Regard to Data Collection and Disaggregation: Draft Study by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which frames data as a “cultural, strategic and economic resource” anchored in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).[13], [14] Further, during the session, EMRIP issued Advice No. 18, which situates data rights within the framework of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Article 3 on self‑determination. It calls on states to recognize and protect Indigenous data sovereignty through laws, policies and frameworks and sets out that Indigenous control over data is an expression of their inherent sovereignty and right to self‑determination.
The ratification of the WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge,[15], [16] which was adopted in 2024, has had its first two ratifications, by Malawi (December 2024) and Uganda (July 2025). It will enter into force following ratification by 15 contracting parties. Further, under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Cali Fund for the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources (DSI),[17] signalled a growing global recognition that the governance of genetic resources, DSI, and traditional knowledge must better protect the interests and rights of Indigenous Peoples.
2025 also saw the approval of IEEE 2890-2025,[18] following a five-year-long process, for which two consultation webinars were held in 2023. These were recognized by the Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA) as including the active participation of Indigenous members in the process to develop the Recommended Practice.[19] IEEE 2890-2025 is the first global standard for the provenance of Indigenous data, and it operationalizes ethical demands into industry specifications – the standard details the process for describing and recording the provenance, the origin and history of ownership, of data derived from Indigenous Peoples, lands, and waters.
In August 2025, GIDA’s “CARE Directs Us Home”[20] communiqué warned against treating the CARE Principles as a static compliance checklist. Instead, it reasserted CARE as high-level guidance designed to direct researchers toward the distinct, community-specific protocols of the Indigenous Peoples involved.[21] These developments occurred against the backdrop of the rapid proliferation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), which poses an increasing risk of digital colonialism and cultural erasure.
Peace and security: data as a domain of conflict
2025 also highlighted the role of data sovereignty in helping to address the physical safety of Indigenous communities and the defence of their territories.
Surveillance and criminalization of defenders
The intersection of data and security was highlighted in the interim report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples,[22] Dr. Albert Barume, presented to the UN General Assembly in October 2025.[23] While the report focused on land demarcation and titling, it underscored how the lack of official data on Indigenous territories creates governance vacuums that are often exploited by illicit actors, leading to conflict and instability. Cadastral systems, and particularly land registries, satellite imagery and geographic information systems can and are being used to facilitate dispossession of Indigenous Peoples.
Parallel reports from civil society have shown an increasing trend in Indigenous land defenders facing “emerging digital threats”. During the opening of EMRIP’s 18th Session, Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, denounced how:
States are using AI-driven surveillance tools to track and harass Indigenous rights defenders. Information from Indigenous communities, including maps and artwork, is used to train AI models without consent. And Indigenous Peoples are still largely excluded from key policy decisions on the development of AI.[24]
The criminalization of these Indigenous Peoples’ Human Rights Defenders increasingly involves digital surveillance, biometric data collection, and the use of sophisticated data systems to track and prosecute those protecting their territories.[25] In Peru alone, 226 Indigenous land defenders were identified as at risk, with data systems being weaponized by state and corporate actors to monitor their movements.[26] This represents a worrying trend in data being weaponized against Indigenous Peoples, and reinforces the call for Indigenous data sovereignty and governance.
Cybersecurity and digital colonialism
As digital tools become more decentralized and access to them is democratized, communities are actively working to digitize, preserve, catalogue and share traditional knowledge and linguistic heritage. However, in doing so, they also face increased cybersecurity risks, including vulnerability to data breaches and misuse of their data when traditional knowledge, genetic information or territorial data are digitized and stored on external platforms – including academic, institutional and state registries, databases and cadastral systems. Digitized archives and cultural databases are increasingly being copied, scraped or republished on a massive scale, turning community archives and university-hosted collections into targets for AI training – while the provenance of the data, and the ownership of it, is often contested. Many collections of Indigenous data – including data gathered without consent by churches, government and researchers, are tagged as open source and are publicly accessible.[27] Throughout 2025, Indigenous data continued to be misappropriated and commodified without consent.
The rapid proliferation of AI continues to be identified as a “new form of colonization”. [28] AI systems, often trained on scraped data, including Indigenous languages and Indigenous knowledge and science, threaten to appropriate cultural heritage on an industrial scale. Generative AI, including photo and video, are also well-documented in misappropriating and misrepresenting Indigenous Peoples’ traditional clothing, knowledge and customs. The rise of AI has transformed the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty into an issue of immediate and existential urgency. AI's capacity for scaled, decontextualized data extraction, and malicious use of data and content to attack and threaten Indigenous defenders and communities, poses an unprecedented threat. The development of robust, sovereign data governance cannot be a mere aspiration but is a necessity for cultural survival.
Notable Indigenous data sovereignty developments in national contexts
North America: In the United States, the Census Bureau planned to host its first Indigenous Data Sovereignty Symposium in February 2025, signalling a commitment to data stewardship. The event was, however, then postponed until further notice and was not held.[29] Further, the Trump administration revoked Executive Order 14112, which resulted in the removal of key legal architecture for Tribal self-determination, signalling a regression in federal support.[30]
In Canada, the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) advanced the First Nations Data Governance Strategy, focusing on the repatriation of First Nations data sets from federal agencies.[31] Federal agencies continued to work on the implementation of the UNDRIP Act, passed in 2021, and an Indigenous Data Strategy.
Oceania: The Government of Western Australia implemented a mandatory Aboriginal Data Governance Policy in May 2025,[32] recognizing Aboriginal rights to govern the collection, ownership, and use of their data and requiring health entities to recognize Aboriginal ownership of data.
In Aotearoa, the current state of Māori data sovereignty and governance is challenging. In, “State of the Nation - Māori Data Sovereignty/ Māori Data Governance in 2025 - Tino Rangatiratanga Raraunga ki Aotearoa 2025”, the report highlights the critical importance of Māori data sovereignty in the age of AI to prevent bias, create new opportunities and to uphold Māori rights. The report also highlights a significant disparity between established Māori data governance frameworks and their practical implementation across various sectors. One key finding is the widespread inconsistency in defining and managing Māori data, coupled with under-resourcing of Māori data initiatives within many government entities.[33]
Asia: In 2025, regional efforts on Indigenous data sovereignty continued to take shape, driven by Indigenous leaders and civil society. Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP), a regional Indigenous Peoples’ organization, made data sovereignty a strategic priority in its 2025-2029 plan.[34] AIPP and its 46 members across 14 countries in Asia recognize that strengthening Indigenous data systems is crucial for asserting self-governance in a region where many states do not officially recognize Indigenous Peoples.
In July 2025, during the EMRIP, the Asia Indigenous Caucus (facilitated by AIPP) convened a high-profile side event entitled “Indigenous Peoples’ Data Sovereignty as a Means to Achieve Self-Determination as Enshrined in the UNDRIP”. This event put forward Asian Indigenous perspectives, emphasizing that community-controlled data on demographics, land use, and traditional knowledge are essential to realizing and asserting the rights enshrined in the UNDRIP.[35] In 2024 and 2025, AIPP continued to advance the Asian Framework on Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty, which was first published in 2023.[36]
Africa: On 9 August 2025, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) issued a strong statement[37] highlighting the impact of emerging technologies on Indigenous communities’ rights. The Commission explicitly underscored the importance of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) for any initiatives involving Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge or data, especially in digital systems. It warned against AI systems exploiting Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) without compensation or perpetuating bias and called for these technologies to be designed in ways that reflect Indigenous worldviews and protect their rights. Finally, the first call from the ACHPR reads, “States are encouraged to develop national AI strategies that are inclusive of IKSs [sic] as well as Indigenous perspectives and uphold data sovereignty.” Nevertheless, challenges across the continent remain acute. As is common across the globe, many African states do not have disaggregated data on Indigenous Peoples, and the issue of non-recognition remains critical.
Conclusion
2025 saw Indigenous data sovereignty continue to navigate a contested frontier of rights, governance, and security. The right of Indigenous Peoples to own, control, access, and possess their data is paramount. Persistent challenges remain, including access to funding and resources to build infrastructure; train personnel; develop long-term governance systems and protocols; address technical capacity constraints; and constraints in regard to access to spaces where technologies and data are being designed and built; as well as limited support in legal frameworks and recognition at the national and subnational level.
However, taking stock of the last decade of concerted effort and foundational work in defining principles, raising awareness and establishing compelling rights-based arguments, there can be no question of the validity and urgent need to respect and implement Indigenous data sovereignty and governance. As the movement enters the next decade, the theme of the 2025 Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Conference is prescient in terms of moving beyond principles and into practice. The challenge remains clear: to build the infrastructure and legal firewalls necessary to ensure that Indigenous data remains a tool for Indigenous-led collective well-being, advancement, and science, rather than an instrument of surveillance and dispossession.
David Berger serves as Advisor on Data Generation and Analysis at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), based in Copenhagen, Denmark. His work focuses on supporting Indigenous Peoples' rights through data sovereignty, data generation, and monitoring of international mechanisms affecting Indigenous communities. He can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here
Notes and references
[1] Rodriguez-Lonebear, Desi. “Building a data revolution in Indian Country.” In Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda, edited by Tahu Kukutai & John Taylor, 253-72. Canberra: ANU Press, 2016.
[2] Kukutai, Tahu, and John Taylor (Eds). Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda. Canberra: ANU Press, 2016.
[3] First Nations Information Governance Centre. “Pathways to First Nations’ data and information sovereignty.” In Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda, edited by Tahu Kukutai & John Taylor, 139-55. Canberra: ANU Press, 2016.
[4] Kukutai and Taylor, 2016. Op Cit.
[5] Snipp, Matthew. “What does data sovereignty imply: what does it look like?” In Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda, edited by Tahu Kukutai & John Taylor, 39-55. Canberra: ANU Press, 2016.
[6] First Nations Information Governance Centre, 2016. Op Cit.
[7] Hudson, Maui, et al. “Tribal data sovereignty: Whakatōhea rights and interests.” In Indigenous data sovereignty: Toward an agenda, edited by Tahu Kukutai & John Taylor, 157-78. Canberra: ANU Press, 2016.
[8] Walter, Maggie, et al. “Indigenous Data Sovereignty Briefing Paper 1.” Miaim nayri Wingara Data Sovereignty Group and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute, 2018. We acknowledge the pioneering contribution of John Taylor.
[9] Global Indigenous Data Alliance (GIDA). “CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance.” GIDA. Accessed 29 January 2026. https://www.gida-global.org/care
[10] Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty (GIDSov) Conference. Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty (GIDSov) Conference 2025. Held on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country, Canberra, ACT, 1–3 April 2025.
[11] Maiam nayri Wingara, and Yardhura Walani. Calls to Action from the Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty Conference. Croakey Health Media, 7 August 2025. https://www.croakey.org/calls-to-action-from-the-global-indigenous-data-sovereignty-conference/
[12] The communiqué is available at: https://yardhurawalani.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/GIDSov-2025-Communique.pdf
[13] UN Human Rights Council, Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. "Right of Indigenous Peoples to Data, Including with Regard to Data Collection and Disaggregation: Draft Study by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples." A/HRC/EMRIP/2025/2, 6 May 2025. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/EMRIP/2025/2
[14] Inuit Circumpolar Council. ICC Calls for Inuit Data Sovereignty and Protection of Traditional Economies at UN Expert Mechanism. Geneva: Inuit Circumpolar Council, 18 July 2025. https://www.inuitcircumpolar.com/press-releases/icc-calls-for-inuit-data-sovereignty-and-protection-of-traditional-economies-at-un-expert-mechanism/
[15] World Intellectual Property Organization. WIPO Treaty on Intellectual Property, Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge. Geneva: WIPO, 2024. https://www.wipo.int/en/web/traditional-knowledge/wipo-treaty-on-ip-gr-and-associated-tk
[16] International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). "The Indigenous World 2025: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)." 25 April 2025. https://www.iwgia.org/en/world-intellectual-property-organization-wipo/5722-iw-2025-wipo.html
[17] Convention on Biological Diversity. The Cali Fund Launches in the Margins of the Resumed Session of COP16. Montreal: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 24 February 2025. https://www.cbd.int/article/cali-fund-launch-2025
[18] Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. IEEE 2890‑2025: Recommended Practice for Provenance of Indigenous Peoples’ Data. IEEE Standards Association, published 14 November 2025. https://standards.ieee.org/ieee/2890/10318/
[19] Global Indigenous Data Alliance. IEEE Provenance. GIDA, 2025. https://www.gida-global.org/ieee-provenance
[20] Riley Taitingfong, Stephanie Russo Carroll, Jacinta Fa’alili-Fidow, Oscar Figueroa, Aaron Franks, Ibrahim Garba, Lydia Jennings, Andrew Martinez, Jacob Prehn, Cassandra Sedran-Price, Susanna Siri, Desi Small-Rodriguez, El-Shadan Tautolo, Jennifer D. Walker, Tahu Kukutai. (2024). “CARE Directs Us Home: Prioritizing Indigenous Peoples’ Community Standards Communiqué.” Global Indigenous Data Alliance. doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.29294120.v1
[21] Baker, Craig. "CARE Directs Us Home: Reclaiming Indigenous Authority over Data." Native Nations Institute, 5 August 2025. https://nni.arizona.edu/news/care-directs-us-home-reclaiming-indigenous-authority-over-data
[22] Barume, Albert K. Identification, demarcation, registration and titling of Indigenous Peoples’ lands: practices and lessons - Interim report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples. General Assembly, eightieth session. A/80/181. Geneva: United Nations, 7 August 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a80181-identification-demarcation-registration-and-titling-indigenous
[23] General Assembly - the United Nations, accessed 20 January 2026. https://estatements.un.org/estatements/11.0030/20251013150000000/tdgJfm_eA/MpYPFFXW_nyc_en.pdf
[24] Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. HC Türk: “Wisdom and Experience of Indigenous Peoples Hold Important Lessons for All.” Statement delivered by Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, at the eighteenth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Geneva, 14 July 2025. https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2025/07/hc-turk-wisdom-and-experience-indigenous-peoples-hold-important
[25] Global Witness. "Roots of Resistance: Documenting the Global Struggles of Defenders." 17 September 2025. https://www.globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/environmental-activists/roots-resistance/
[26] Sierra Praeli, Yvette. Report Finds 226 Indigenous Land Defenders in Peru at Risk of Violence. Mongabay, 29 September 2025. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/09/report-finds-226-indigenous-land-defenders-in-peru-at-risk-of-violence/
[27] “AI Reflections: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Artificial Intelligence,” CTLT Indigenous Initiatives (University of British Columbia), 19 November 2025, https://indigenousinitiatives.ctlt.ubc.ca/2025/11/19/ai-reflections-indigenous-data-sovereignty-and-artificial-intelligence/
[28] Tu, Margaret Yun-Pu. “AI Threatens Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Digital Self-Determination.” Policy Options, 22 May 2025. Accessed 19 January 2026. https://policyoptions.irpp.org/2025/05/ai-indigenous-data/
[29] U.S. Census Bureau. 2025 Census Bureau Indigenous Data Sovereignty Symposium. Last revised 31 January 2025. https://www.census.gov/about/cong-gov-affairs/intergovernmental-affairs/tribal-aian/events/2025-02-12-symposium.html
[30] Environmental and Energy Law Program. Trump Rescinded Executive Order 14112 on Reforming Federal Funding and Support for Tribal Nations. Harvard Law School, 14 March 2025. https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/tracker/white-house-issued-guidance-on-reforming-funding-for-tribal-nations/
[31] First Nations Information Governance Centre. "FNIGC Annual Report 2024-2025." 1 September 2025. https://fnigc.ca/online-library/
[32] Western Australia Department of Health. Aboriginal Data Governance Policy (MP 0190/25). Perth: Government of Western Australia, effective 27 May 2025. https://www.health.wa.gov.au/About-us/Policy-frameworks/Information-Management/Mandatory-requirements/Governance/Aboriginal-Data-Governance-Policy
[33] Taiuru, Karaitiana. State of the Nation: Māori Data Sovereignty / Māori Data Governance in 2025 – Tino Rangatiratanga Raraunga ki Aotearoa 2025. Taiuru & Associates Ltd, September 2025. https://www.taiuru.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/State-of-the-Nation-Report-FINAL.pdf
[34] Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact. AIPP Strategic Plan 2025–2029. September 2025. https://aippnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Final-AIPP-Strategic-Plan-2025-2029.pdf
[35] Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP) and the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA). “Side Event: Indigenous Peoples’ Data Sovereignty as a Means to Achieve Self-Determination as Enshrined in UNDRIP.” Side event at the 18th Session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Room XXI, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 16 July 2025.
[36] “Asian Framework on Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty.” 2023. Accessed 29 January 2026. https://aippnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/22-Aug-2023-_Final-IKDS-Framework.pdf
[37] African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. “Statement on the Occasion of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, 9 August 2025.” African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. 10 August 2025. https://achpr.au.int/en/news/press-releases/2025-08-10/african-commission-human-and-peoples-rights-statement-occasion
Tags: Global governance
