{"id":4056,"date":"2026-01-30T22:35:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T22:35:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/?page_id=4056"},"modified":"2026-01-30T22:42:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T22:42:03","slug":"indigenous-data-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/th\/indigenous-data-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"Indigenous Data Sovereignty"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Indigenous Data Sovereignty<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Asian Framework on Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Indigenous Knowledge in Asia<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Asia, the integration of\u00a0Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)<\/a>\u00a0into conservation approaches \u2014 let\u00a0alone AI systems \u2014 without respect for IPs\u2019 sovereign rights over their knowledge and collective governance rights could exacerbate existing human rights abuses of IPs and further displace\u00a0them from their territories. This is currently the practice across\u00a0the Asian continent.\u00a0With an estimated IP population of more than\u00a0411 million<\/a>, the\u00a0imperative to protect Indigenous knowledge systems is evident\u00a0given their contribution to mitigating the climate crisis, its impact\u00a0on their livelihoods, and the ongoing persecution of\u00a0Indigenous\u00a0environmental defenders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IDS complicates the current understanding of data \u2014 which is\u00a0based on Western notions of individual ownership and use through copyright and licensing \u2014 and directs attention to the power relationships and post-colonial dynamics in existing data agendas.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS)<\/a> is a way to protect TEK and ensure that IPs have the right to control data and retain knowledge to protect their sovereign right to self-determination and the subsequent ability to govern and manage their lands and territories for the common good. IDS refers to \u201cIndigenous peoples\u2019 possession of the locus of authority over the management of data about their communities, territories, and ways of life\u201d (Kukutai & Taylor, 2016). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, it refers to how IPs control the ways in which such data are collected, manipulated, managed, and used by themselves and by governments, corporations, and development agencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Knowledge ecosystems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\u00a0Asian Indigenous Peoples Pact (AIPP)<\/a>\u00a0partners of the\u00a0Open Development Initiative (ODI)<\/a>\u00a0and K4D\u00a0have formulated an\u00a0Asian Indigenous Knowledge and Data Sovereignty\u00a0Framework (IKDS)<\/a>\u00a0that hopes to integrate IP knowledge\u00a0systems into regional agendas. They not only acknowledge and\u00a0recognize the right to self-determination but also affirm the sovereignty of their data, which is derived through their epistemology and ontology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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LEARN MORE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Nature Based Solutions (NbS)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this brief, we address the risks associated with technology-enabled NbS solutions, such as epistemic injustice and the commodification of nature. In the context of low and middle-income countries in Asia, the absence of strong human rights and regulatory frameworks on land tenure has led to displacement and fueled discrimination and oppression of Indigenous Peoples and marginalized resource-dependent communities. While technological solutions are hailed as a panacea in the pursuit of NbS, these will play out in the context of digital divides, driving the concentration of power in the hands of a few actors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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READ REPORT<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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AI-based climate action<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can traditional ecological knowledge and Indigenous data sovereignty contribute to AI-powered climate action while respecting Indigenous rights? This report examines these nexuses between Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and AI on the rights of IP to uphold their self-determination rights within an increasingly digital world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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READ REPORT<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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New technology and the environment<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This chapter explores how over 100 Indigenous and ethnically distinct communities in the region have struggled to retain their autonomy, while taking note of the significant barriers they face in asserting their rights to their identity \u2014 as well as over their land and the natural resources located therein. It discusses, in particular, how new technology could be inclusively leveraged to centre the needs of Indigenous Peoples and ethnic minorities (IEM) communities while protecting their rights and connection to the natural environment. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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IDS in the Mekong<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous and ethnic minorities (IEM) within the Mekong countries have unique struggles, a general theme emerges: access to land and natural resources. This paper discusses how open data policies focused on Indigenous Data Sovereignty, applied to create a coordinated network, has contributed to the public provision of data and its use in land claims in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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READ REPORT<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Indigenous Knowledge in Asia In Asia, the integration of\u00a0Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)\u00a0into conservation approaches \u2014 let\u00a0alone AI systems \u2014 without respect for IPs\u2019 sovereign rights over their knowledge and collective governance rights could exacerbate existing human rights abuses of IPs and further displace\u00a0them from their territories. This is currently the practice across\u00a0the Asian continent.\u00a0With an … Continue reading Indigenous Data Sovereignty<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/basic-page.php","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-4056","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/Pf1W0P-13q","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4049,"url":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/th\/indigenous-peoples-rights\/","url_meta":{"origin":4056,"position":0},"title":"Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Rights","author":"K4D Foundation","date":"\u0e21\u0e01\u0e23\u0e32\u0e04\u0e21 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Indigenous Peoples\u2019 Rights Indigenous Data Sovereignty Promote Indigenous data sovereignty as a pathway to achieving self-determination rights and community control over land, territory, and resources. Learn more \u2192 Technology for Land and Resource Governance Equip Indigenous communities with tools and platforms that support environmental justice, territorial claims, and legal recognition.\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo by: Allan Michaud","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/Jungle-Mondulkiri.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4082,"url":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/th\/technology-for-land-and-resource-governance\/","url_meta":{"origin":4056,"position":1},"title":"Technology for Land and Resource Governance","author":"K4D Foundation","date":"\u0e01\u0e38\u0e21\u0e20\u0e32\u0e1e\u0e31\u0e19\u0e18\u0e4c 2, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Technology for Land and Resource Governance Indigenous Knowledge and the Digital Transformation Over 274 TB of earth observations data are produced every day!\u00a0The significance of this big data has large repercussions upon Indigenous peoples\u2019 whose traditional ecological knowledge have maintained and protected the over 80% of the world\u2019s biodiversity for\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sapa-Rice-Terraces-Vietnam-768x447-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sapa-Rice-Terraces-Vietnam-768x447-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sapa-Rice-Terraces-Vietnam-768x447-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/knowledge4development.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sapa-Rice-Terraces-Vietnam-768x447-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3338,"url":"https:\/\/knowledge4development.org\/th\/our-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":4056,"position":2},"title":"\u0e07\u0e32\u0e19\u0e02\u0e2d\u0e07\u0e40\u0e23\u0e32","author":"K4D Foundation","date":"\u0e2a\u0e34\u0e07\u0e2b\u0e32\u0e04\u0e21 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"OUR WORK Gender Inclusion Feminist leadership is foundational to all areas of the work K4D undertakes. 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