What is First Nations Data Sovereignty?

By Leona Star, MDP student

The ability of First Nations people to practice their ceremonies, speak their languages, sing their sacred songs, and connect to the lands, waters, and all beings is a direct act of sovereignty that sustains the well-being of their Nations; these practices have been passed on throughout the generations that recognize and uphold the Nations' sovereignty and self-determination. Nations have always acted upon their inherent responsibilities to teach and educate children through the transfer and protection of their cultural and traditional knowledge, which is rooted in their languages, ceremonies, and protocols, in relation to the lands, waters, and all living beings.

Data Sovereignty is not new to First Nations people, as Nations, we have always asserted sovereignty over our information, our data, and stories were carefully held and protected until the transfer of the information and data (i.e.. Songs, ceremonies, teachings, etc.) was ready to be received and cared for in the same way it was given, ensuring the integrity and values continued to be upheld. Walter and Carroll (2020) define Indigenous Data Sovereignty as, “affirm[ing] the rights of Indigenous Peoples to control the collection, access, analysis, interpretation, management, dissemination and reuse of Indigenous data”. First Nations governance and oversight of data are prerequisites for asserting Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS). The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) article 31further supports IDS as, “Indigenous peoples’ right to maintain, control, protect and develop their cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions, as well as their right to maintain, control, protect and develop their intellectual property over these” (United Nations, 2007). 

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN)

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan. The Federation is committed to honouring the spirit and intent of the Treaties, as well as the promotion, protection and implementation of the Treaty promises that were made more than a century ago.

FSIN is one of 10 regions across Canada working in partnership with the First Nations Information Governance to create stand-alone First Nations Data Centers as a pathway to assert First Nations Data Sovereignty, supporting the needs of the families and Nations they serve.

The FSIN Data Sovereignty team will be hosting online webinars on the following topics:

·        What is First Nations Data Sovereignty?

·        How are First Nations protecting data and information across Canada?

·        What is OCAP, and how have Nations implemented OCAP?

·        What is Free, Prior and Informed Consent and why is it important?

·        What is a First Nations Data Center?

·        What is an Information Sharing Agreement, and how can it support First Nations Data Sovereignty?

For more information, please contact martin.paul@fsin.com or murall.bird@fsin.com

Leona Star and Martin Paul

My time at Immigration Partnership (IPW)

By Fiona Slota, 1st year MDP student

Where I am working:

My name is Fiona (She/Her), I’m currently completing my field placement at Immigration Partnership Winnipeg (IPW), located within the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg. IPW has a strong commitment to our Winnipeg community. There is a strong focus on improving and strengthening Newcomer-Immigrant inclusion and engagement. With an emphasis on local partnerships. IPW recognize that community engagement has a significant impact on the livelihood of people in our communities.

My Role & Projects:

My role involves analyzing and visualizing statistical data from Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) into infographics that will communicate and advocate key information, like where Permanent Residents are residing in Manitoba. How many Permanent Residents are there in Manitoba? This is with the intention of supporting Permanent Residents’ rights to vote in local elections in Manitoba.

• I am actively learning about the impact of data and its potential as a tool to empower communities and advocate for additional rights.

• I am making an active connection between my program of study in Indigenous Development and working in the community as a partners and advocate for the Rights of Peoples.

Activities I have been active in:

• Creating Infographics

• Participating in the Newcomer Welcome Fair (a yearly event)

• Attending weekly/monthly meetings within the organization and sharing updates on my progress

• Building relationship with interns from other universities also working at IPW

• Engaging in conversations with community members and partnership/ing organizations.

What I am Learning:

• I am actively learning about the impact of data and its potential as a tool to empower communities and advocate for additional rights.

• I am making an active connection between my program of study in Indigenous Development and working in the community as a partners and advocate for the Rights of Peoples.

My placement with IPW has been an amazing experience. I learn to find my voice and build my confidence. I became part of a community that is doing amazing work in Winnipeg. Often it is easy to talk about data. And using statistics to categorize people. But behind each statistic is a very human and personal story.

 

Waapihk – “We see”

By Britney Champagne, 1st year MDP student

Taanshi! I find the hardest part of starting a blog post is the beginning. I guess a good place to start is with my name! My name is Britney Champagne, and I am a 26-year-old Red River Métis woman. This blog post is about the field placement MDP students took part in over the summer months! For myself, I had the absolute pleasure of working with Waapihk Research.

Waapihk is an Indigenous owned and operated company which plays a supporting role by providing data-driven research to answer questions related to Indigenous health and education systems. Their office is located in the heart of Downtown Winnipeg with an amazing view of the city. The staff at Waapihk has a diverse range of educational backgrounds which contributes to well-rounded research. They are truly committed to reconciliation work with Indigenous peoples and it shows in the work they produce and their data management.

During my 3-month period with Waapihk, I was working as a Student Researcher on the Education files. I conducted a case study, collaborated on a report based on the findings, developed high-level summaries, contributed to the Waapihk blog, enhanced power-point presentations, and supported other departments as necessary. I also had the opportunity to fly out to Thunder-Bay for a 2-day Education Summit!

Waapihk Research is a wonderful place to work and I am super grateful to have met everyone. The team welcomed me with open arms and I felt right at home. I have made many new life-long friends.

MDP alumn Stacey Woods (L) & Britney (R)

Dominica and Kalinago Resilience

By Leslie Kirkness, 1st year MDP student

I have had the fantastic opportunity to complete my international practicum in Dominica, working with Irvince Auguiste and the Kalinago Community, where I studied disaster management, indigenous governance, and the culture and customs of the indigenous peoples in the Caribbean. Upon my arrival in Dominica, I was warmly welcomed and made to feel a part of the community. I met many individuals who have further enhanced my experience in Dominica and taught me valuable lessons, whether intentionally or not.

While in Dominica, I had the opportunity to learn about disaster management, with a primary focus on the Indigenous community of the Kalinago people and their disaster management practices. Disaster management is essential for all communities as disasters can strike at any time. In Dominica, the island experiences hurricane seasons every year from June to October. Furthermore, hurricanes aren't the only natural disaster that can occur, as the island has active volcanoes, is earthquake-prone, and can experience a multitude of human-caused disasters. I learned in the Kalinago Community that there are eight Hamlets (communities), and each Hamlet has a disaster management committee and a leader who oversees all aspects of Disaster needs. Each community has a shelter for community members to access. However, through all this preparation, the committees suffer from a lack of disaster management equipment and from a failure to maintain up-to-date training for community members who assist in times of disaster.

I have also had the opportunity to attend the meetings of the Kalinago chief and council. This was a great experience, and I am so happy to have been invited. The Kalinago people have elected their first female chief, Annet, who has been gracious in accepting me into the community. I have learned a great deal about how the Kalinago people govern and the issues they are addressing. I have learned that the primary concern for the Kalinago people is the lack of economic development and growth opportunities for their community. Chief Annet is working hard to bring more opportunities into the community. Chief Annet is hoping to connect with a leader from my community to learn more about how Indigenous people in Canada approach economic development. I have been and continue to try to make this connection for Chief Annet.

Lastly, the primary purpose of my international placement was to work with an Indigenous community, allowing me to learn about their culture, traditions, and issues surrounding Indigenous peoples in different parts of the world. Having lived and learned about the Kalinago people, I have learned a great deal. It's interesting to know about the issues affecting Indigenous people in various parts of the world. Many problems that surround Indigenous communities I have observed are pretty similar to each other, yet vastly different in combating these issues for proper resolution for each community.

Overall, my practicum has been a great experience, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have been invited and to have learned so much from such resilient people who continue to work towards self-sufficiency and resilience.

Thank you,

Leslie Kirkness

Leslie presenting a star blanket as a gift of friendship to Chief Annet and the cultural coordinator for the Kalinago people, Elder Mary