Data Is Ceremony

We hear a lot about data sovereignty in conversations about Indigenous rights and technology. But what does that really mean?

For many Indigenous Peoples, data is not just numbers or information. It is connected to land, language, ceremony, and community. Data is part of relationships and one that comes with responsibility.

When we say “data is ceremony,” we are saying that how data is collected, shared, and used matters just as much as what it says.

It must be treated with care, purpose, and respect.

1. Data Is Not Neutral

In Western knowdge systems, data is seen as neutral. But for some Indigenous communities, data reflects a painful history: being studied without consent, misrepresented, or left out entirely.

Because of this, some Indigenous leaders say that data must be handled the same way you would handle a sacred object: with clear rules, shared values, and deep respect.

This approach isn’t about rejecting science or technology. It’s about asking: Who collected this? Who benefits from it?, and Who decides what happens next?

2. The Right to Tell Your Own Story

Indigenous data sovereignty means that communities have the right to govern their own information. This includes health data, education records, language resources, environmental monitoring, and more.

Without this control, communities can’t fully protect their rights, plan for the future, or respond to crises. As the post What Makes Innovation Indigenous? explore, true innovation includes self-determination. That means Indigenous people telling their own stories, their way.

3. CARE, Not Just FAIR

Many governments and institutions follow the FAIR principles for data - Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. Indigenous data leaders add another set of principles: CARE - Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics.

CARE means data should help communities thrive, not just serve academic or commercial interests. It also means protecting sensitive knowledge, respecting laws and customs, and ensuring decisions are made by the people who are most affected.

4. A Living Relationship

Data is ceremony because it’s part of a living relationship. Just like in ceremony, there are roles, teachings, and outcomes. This is esstential to building trust and honouring responsibility.

This is especially important in fields like artificial intelligence, climate research, or clean energy, where data often guides major decisions. If the process leaves Indigenous people out, or ignores their protocols, it creates harm.

Conclusion: Rethinking Innovation with Respect

When we treat data as ceremony, we shift from extraction to relationship. We stop asking What can we take from this data? and start asking How do we honour this knowledge?

This shift doesn’t slow innovation. It actually strengthens it when both eyes work together.

If we want better systems (for health, for climate, for technology) we need to build them on trust, respect, and shared responsibility. That starts by recognizing that data is not a tool to be used, but a resource to be protected.