Highlighting Indigenous Cultural Authority: Local Contexts’ November Conference Presentations
Last week, Local Contexts had the honor of presenting at two major conferences: the Research Data Alliance (RDA) 23rd Plenary Meeting in San José, Costa Rica, and the 2024 International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) on Cahuilla Homelands (Palm Springs, CA, USA). These events provided valuable opportunities to connect with global communities and share our commitment to Indigenous cultural authority in data governance.
At the RDA Plenary, Local Contexts’ Software Developer Ashley Rojas and Operations Manager Laure Haak, along with Reyna Jenkyns from the World Data System, led a breakout session titled “Implementing CARE Principles: Indigenous Data Governance using the Local Contexts Hub.” The presentation was hosted by the International Indigenous Data Sovereignty Interest Group, one of the discussion forums from which the CARE Principles were developed. Reflecting on the experience, Ashley Rojas noted, “At the RDA Plenary, there was much discussion on the FAIR principles and limited focus on the CARE Principles. Being one of the few sessions to highlight the CARE Principles was an honor. I look forward to continuing to learn in this space and see how the CARE Principles can grow in this age of big and open data.”
Meanwhile, at ATALM, Executive Director Stephany RunningHawk Johnson (Oglala Lakota Nation) described the sense of community at the conference, saying, “At the opening of the ATALM conference, they spoke about how it’s like a family reunion. And it’s so true! We had a wonderful time connecting in person with people we know and haven’t seen in a while as well as meeting new friends. I have learned so much and am grateful for the time and space to be in the community!” This sense of connection set the tone for the Local Contexts team’s participation at ATALM, where they led a workshop and sessions on digital heritage protection, Indigenous language preservation, and global strategies for safeguarding traditional cultural expressions.
Both conferences underscored the importance of coming together to strengthen Indigenous rights and data sovereignty. We are grateful for the chance to contribute to these conversations and remain dedicated to supporting Indigenous communities in their data governance initiatives.
