Grounding Indigenous Rights

What is Local Contexts?

Local Contexts is a global initiative that supports Indigenous communities with tools that can reassert cultural authority in heritage collections and data. By focusing on Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property and Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Local Contexts helps Indigenous communities repatriate knowledge and gain control over how data is collected, managed, displayed, accessed, and used in the future.

Local Contexts recognizes the inherent sovereignty that Indigenous communities have over knowledge and data that comes from their lands, territories, and waters.

Local Contexts Labels and Notices were created to ground intellectual and cultural property rights in cultural heritage, data, and genetic resources within digital environments.

The Labels and Notices are generated and managed using the Local Contexts Hub.

Indigenous communities

reinforce rights by applying TK and BC Labels

Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Biocultural (BC) Labels establish Indigenous cultural authority and governance over Indigenous data and collections by adding provenance information and contextual metadata (including community names), protocols, and permissions for access, use, and circulation.

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Institutions and researchers

disclose interests by placing Notices

Black square with the letters BC in the middle in white.

Notices are tools for institutions, repositories, and researchers to support ethical use and reinforce relationships with Indigenous communities. They also work to educate the public around Indigenous rights and interests in historical and future collections and data.

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What is the Local Contexts Hub?

The Local Contexts Hub is a web portal that enables the customization of Labels by Indigenous communities and the generation of Notices by institutions and researchers. Labels and Notices can be applied to Local Contexts Projects created within the Hub depending on the account type.

Community

Community accounts can customize TK and BC Labels to display local and traditional protocols. The Labels are used as digital signifiers to explain how Indigenous history and culture is accessed and used going forward. These Labels can be attached by community accounts to Local Contexts Projects.

Institution

Institution accounts can apply Notices to Local Contexts Projects. Local Contexts Projects document information about a particular item, collection, sample, etc. Applying Notices allows institutions to engage acknowledge, and make visible Indigenous interests in collections, information, and data.

Researcher

Researcher accounts are specifically for independent researchers. Researcher accounts are very similar to institution accounts but only have one member, the account creator. Researchers can apply Notices to Local Contexts Projects that document particular data or research you may have conducted.

Hub Users

Communities

Institutions

194

Researchers

Countries

Learn More About Local Contexts and the Hub

Join the Hub

News and Updates

				[{"id":11992,"link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/science-magazine-explores-need-for-ethical-care-and-handling-of-animal-remains-with-support-from-local-contexts\/","name":"science-magazine-explores-need-for-ethical-care-and-handling-of-animal-remains-with-support-from-local-contexts","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Science-MagazineAnimal-Remains.png","alt":"Text on decorative green background. \u201cCreating a world in which animals in museums are cared for in a culturally connected way requires first caring about identification. [Then we] can flag items for return or create opportunities for communities with ties to these remains to provide meaningful context for their care.\u201d Jimmy Arterberry (Comanche Nation) from \u201cBetter Care Urged for Animal Remains Tied to Indigenous People,\u201d by Amanda Heidt, Science Magazine (January 2, 2025). White Local Contexts logo in bottom right corner."},"title":"\u200b\u200bScience Magazine Explores Need for Ethical Care and Handling of Animal Remains with Support from Local Contexts","excerpt":"","content":"In a recent Science magazine article \u201cBetter Care Urged for Animal Remains Tied to Indigenous People,\u201d author Amanda Heidt explores the growing need for ethical","author":{"name":"Local Contexts","link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/author\/localcontexts\/"},"date":"Jan 16, 2025","dateGMT":"2025-01-16 20:32:25","modifiedDate":"2025-01-16 20:53:07","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-01-16 20:53:07","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/resources\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Resources<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/resources\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Resources<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","translation_priority":"<a href='https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/?taxonomy=translation_priority&term=optional' rel='translation_priority'>Optional<\/a>"},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":6},"status":"publish"},{"id":11833,"link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/local-contexts-2024-highlights-a-year-of-growth-and-sustainability\/","name":"local-contexts-2024-highlights-a-year-of-growth-and-sustainability","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Year-in-Review-Blog.png","alt":"Local Contexts 2024 Year in Review.\u201d Portraits of team members: Diana Lovette, Dr. Janette Hamilton-Pearce, Stephany RunningHawk Johnson, Laure Haak, Corrie Roe, Seth Kurke, Ashley Rojas, Herbert Dawkins, Emily Santhanam, Sabeen Ammar, and Amy June Breesman, with the Local Contexts logo."},"title":"Local Contexts 2024 Highlights: A Year of Growth and Sustainability","excerpt":"","content":"As 2024 comes to a close, we at Local Contexts reflect on an extraordinary year dedicated to advancing Indigenous data sovereignty and governance. From team","author":{"name":"Seth Kurke","link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/author\/seth-kurke\/"},"date":"Dec 26, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-12-26 10:00:00","modifiedDate":"2024-12-21 02:07:41","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-12-21 02:07:41","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/announcement\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Announcement<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/announcement\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Announcement<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","translation_priority":"<a href='https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/?taxonomy=translation_priority&term=optional' rel='translation_priority'>Optional<\/a>"},"readTime":{"min":4,"sec":42},"status":"publish"},{"id":11816,"link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/orcid-and-local-contexts-announce-partnership\/","name":"orcid-and-local-contexts-announce-partnership","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/LCORCID-blog.png","alt":"A graphic with a yellow and teal background divided into two sections, each featuring a quote. 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On the right: A quote from Chris Shillum, Executive Director of ORCID, reads: \"One of ORCID\u2019s three values is Inclusivity, so we are delighted to be working with Local Contexts to help researchers demonstrate that they respect the CARE Principles and support the rights of Indigenous Peoples to exert greater control over Indigenous data and Indigenous Knowledge.\" Below the quote is the ORCID logo and Chris Shillum\u2019s name and title."},"title":"ORCID and Local Contexts Announce Partnership","excerpt":"","content":"In the article \u201cLocal Contexts and ORCID Partner to Advance Indigenous Data Sovereignty,\u201d authored by Julie Petro, Director of Communications at ORCID, Local Contexts and","author":{"name":"Local Contexts","link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/author\/localcontexts\/"},"date":"Dec 20, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-12-20 20:34:12","modifiedDate":"2025-01-06 21:45:21","modifiedDateGMT":"2025-01-06 21:45:21","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/resources\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Resources<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/resources\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Resources<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","translation_priority":"<a href='https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/?taxonomy=translation_priority&term=optional' rel='translation_priority'>Optional<\/a>"},"readTime":{"min":0,"sec":25},"status":"publish"},{"id":11746,"link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/notices-in-use-the-whyte-archives\/","name":"notices-in-use-the-whyte-archives","thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Notices-in-use-Whyte-Museum-1.png","alt":"\u201cNotices in use: The Whyte Archive.\u201d Screenshot of Whyte\u2019s website object record page for \u201cPearl Moore\u2019s Beaded Vest,\u201d including an image of a decorated beaded vest and the Local Contexts Notices below. Decorative red background."},"title":"Notices in use: The Whyte Archives","excerpt":"","content":"The Whyte Archive is using Open to Collaborate and Attribution Incomplete Notices in its online collection page for \u201cPearl Moore\u2019s Beaded Vest.\u201d The Notices are","author":{"name":"Local Contexts","link":"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/author\/localcontexts\/"},"date":"Dec 13, 2024","dateGMT":"2024-12-13 19:16:48","modifiedDate":"2024-12-20 20:47:40","modifiedDateGMT":"2024-12-20 20:47:40","commentCount":"0","commentStatus":"closed","categories":{"coma":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/notices-in-use\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Notices in Use<\/a>","space":"<a href=\"https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/category\/blog\/notices-in-use\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Notices in Use<\/a>"},"taxonomies":{"post_tag":"","translation_priority":"<a href='https:\/\/localcontexts.org\/?taxonomy=translation_priority&term=optional' rel='translation_priority'>Optional<\/a>"},"readTime":{"min":1,"sec":7},"status":"publish"}]

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Upcoming Events

2025 National Council on Public History Annual Meeting

March 26, 2025

, 13:00 UTC

On March 26, Local Contexts, in partnership with UMass Amherst and the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Science staff, will present the workshop, “What is Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Why Does it Matter for Public Historians?”, at the 2025 National Council on Public History (NCPH) Annual Meeting in Montréal, Québec, Canada. This workshop introduces …

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