What is the data for?
Define a specific community purpose before collecting information.
Data sovereignty
Authority begins with the community.
The people and nations connected to Indigenous data should have a decisive role in its purpose, governance, and use. Technology is one part of that relationship.
THE PRINCIPLEControl is more
Control is more
than a server location.
CedarStack’s working plan links data sovereignty with education and local capability: people who can ask informed questions, set meaningful requirements, and understand how systems handle information.
The Institute would not appoint itself a steward of a Nation’s data. Any such role would depend on authorization from the relevant tribal authority and a written agreement defining purpose, responsibilities, access, and the end of the relationship.
This is a proposed educational and governance approach. It is not a claim that CedarStack currently holds tribal data, operates a sovereign cloud, or provides legal or security guarantees.
BEGIN WITH THESE QUESTIONSBefore a project.
Before a project.
Before a platform.
A useful starting point for a conversation about community data.
Who decides?
Identify the Nation or community body with authority and obtain its authorization.
Who can use it?
Set clear access, permitted-use, and sharing terms in writing.
What happens next?
Agree how long information is kept, how decisions are reviewed, and how it is returned or removed.
A GUIDING FRAMEWORK
People. Purpose. CARE.
The working plan references the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance, developed by the Global Indigenous Data Alliance.
Collective Benefit
Ask how a project will benefit the community.
Authority to Control
Recognize Indigenous authority over decisions involving Indigenous data.
Responsibility
Build relationships and capability alongside the use of data.
Ethics
Keep rights, wellbeing, and community context central.
Educational introduction. Local tribal requirements and project agreements would determine practice.
SHAPE WHAT COMES NEXTStrong roots.
Strong roots.
Shared possibility.
Bring your perspective to a future shaped by community priorities, practical learning, and Indigenous authority over data.
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