Social Research and Indigenous Data Sovereignty

This chapter explores the dynamic interplay
between social research and the Indigenous
Data Sovereignty (IDSov) movement. In the
fields of data and society, IDSov aims to disrupt
colonial paradigms, emphasising the
urgent need for Indigenous1 peoples and communities
to reclaim authority over their data to
define their narratives and futures (Kukutai &
Taylor 2016b; Walter, Kukutai et al. 2021).
Quality data are the backbone of a society,
informing, empowering, and facilitating progress
across diverse aspects of human life.
However, current data landscapes are marked
by historical and ongoing imbalances, where
marginalised populations, such as Indigenous
minorities in Anglo-colonised nations like
Canada, Australia, Aotearoa (New Zealand),
and the United States2, experience significant
challenges attaining the data they need
(Walter & Anderson 2013).

In this context, the argument for IDSov
gains prominence as it addresses the
immediate need for Indigenous communities
to assert control over their data and establish
their own data systems. This effort is crucial
for rectifying historical and ongoing injustices
and empowering Indigenous voices to shape
their narratives. As societies become increasingly
digitized and interconnected, IDSov
emerges as a vital means for Indigenous peoples
to preserve and strengthen their cultural
identities while leveraging emerging technologies
to achieve individual and communal
aspirations (Kukutai & Taylor 2016a; Walter
et al., 2021).