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Being a Good Relative in the Digital World - Coggle Diagram
Being a Good Relative
in the Digital World
Digital Self-Determination
Ownership, Control,
Access, & Possession
Indigenous communities
collectively own
,
control
, and
have access
to data collected about them, shifting control from external researchers to the communities themselves.
For Relatives:
Determine who has authority to give consent
Limit consent to one use. Every new use needs new permission
Return recordings, files, and masters to the community
A community owns its collective information, controls how it’s gathered and used, decides who can access it, and maintains possession of it.
(OSPP p. 62)
Digital Sovereignty
Methods for adapting
inherent tribal sovereignty rights
to the
digital world
, including having power over digital content, technology aligned with Indigenous autonomy, and preserving information and ensuring community stewardship for generations
For Relatives:
Build tools the community can run and govern without you
Follow tribal research rules and review boards before your own
Prepare for a community member to take over your role
UNDRIP
gives Indigenous peoples the right to their own media
(Art. 16)
and the right to control their cultural heritage and knowledge, including technology
(Art. 31)
.
CARE
adds that a right is empty without the infrastructure and skills to use it.
Stewardship
Holding information is a
responsibility
that requires intentional stewardship to care for materials in accordance with a community's standards and to carry these values forward
for generations
.
For Relatives:
Collaborate from the start, and let relationships set the timeline
Use tools that are environmentally and materially sustainable for the community
Prioritize building relationships over pressure to design something immediately
IIDC
asks designers to consider their impact across past, present, and future
(IIDC #8)
, while
CARE
asks them to anticipate future uses and future harms.
(CARE E3)
From
PNAAM
: “We belong to the ‘property;’ it doesn’t belong to us.”
Critical Framework
Western information rules assume three things: knowledge is
owned by individuals
, protection is
time-limited
, and
openness is always better
. Indigenous information comes with relationships and obligations attached, meaning that these assumptions need to be questioned.
For Relatives:
Question what values any standard practice or initial assumption was built on
Understand community protocols and treat them as law
Copyright protects individuals for a limited time, while Indigenous knowledge is collective and intergenerational (
OSPP p. 57
&
PNAAM
)
Reflexive Praxis
Respect, Reciprocity,
& Responsibility
Nearly every text names the 3 R’s, and some build upon them.
OSPP
references the 3 R's and adds Consent as a fourth principle
(OSPP pp. 10–12)
,
CARE
adds trust, and the
ICF
pairs the 3 R’s with accountability and relationality.
Cora Weber-Pillwax's
3 R's
offer researchers a framework for approaching their research ethically.
For Relatives:
Show respect by honoring cultural laws and community leadership
Practice reciprocity by ensuring the community receives concrete benefits, rather than being used for data extraction
Practice responsibility by caring for how their work impacts the health, dignity, and future of the community
Inclusivity &
Intersectionality
For Relatives:
Uphold everyone’s right to create and take part free from harassment
Apply trauma-informed practices when dealing with
sensitive subjects. Arrange support before sensitive conversations happen
The
ICF
refers to specific groups in their ethics statement
(below)
, and
UNDRIP
calls for particular attention to elders, women, youth, children, and persons with disabilities
(Art. 21-22).
Extends relational ethics to protect
and uplift
marginalized community members
From
ICF
: "Trans, Queer, and Two-Spirit Relatives, Disabled Relatives, Women, Children, and Relatives Fleeing Political Persecution and Instability"
Relational Ontology/
Epistemology
The terms "relational ontology/epistemology" come from
Wilson (2008).
His summary is that "Our reality, our ontology is the relationships"
(Wilson p.76).
IIDC
grounds its design protocols in a similar idea of relationality
(IIDC 2.2)
.
Suggests that the relationship between reality and
knowledge is a web
that connects people, ideas, place, and (in the digital world) technology.
For Relatives:
Treat sources as a relationship you are accountable to
Ask what each relationship requires from you before acting
Understand that the method is building more relationships
Communicative Methodology
A common suggested approach to information gathering; emphasizing
spoken dialogue
and
oral tradition
for learning and co-creating (depending on the source).
Relationships come before research, and informal conversation comes before formal consultation
(OSPP p. 30)
.
IIDC
calls this deep listening: start a conversation intending to learn, not to teach.
(IIDC #4)
For Relatives:
Practice cultural humility; seeking to learn rather than extract
Explain the scope, risks, benefits, and consequences so people can make an informed decision
Respect oral traditions
From
OSPP
: "...building relationships in
the kitchen with tea and bannock"
Relational Action
Co-Creation
Co-creation is a shift from
“consultation,”
where outsiders ask for input or approval after the fact, to
collaboration
, where Indigenous communities hold key creative and decision-making roles from the beginning.
For Relatives:
Bring Indigenous collaborators in at the start, not to approve finished work
Credit contributors as co-creators and co-authors
OSPP
calls for Indigenous people in key creative positions
(OSPP pp. 26–27)
.
IIDC’s
first protocol is that projects be Indigenous led
(IIDC #1)
, and
TBYA
names shared control over process and product as a core principle of responsible collaboration
Reciprocity
Reciprocity means both sides of a relationship
give and receive
. Communities should benefit from the knowledge and data they share, instead of outsiders profiting alone.
For Relatives:
Recognize and pay elders, knowledge keepers, and translators as the experts they are
Return copies of work in a form the community can use
CARE
calls for data systems designed so Indigenous Peoples benefit from them
(CARE C1–C3)
.
IIDC
asks that benefits be shared, especially when knowledge is used commercially
(IIDC #7)
.
OSPP
lists concrete community benefit agreements
(OSPP p. 35),
and
PNAAM
suggests sharing commercial fees with the community of origin
(PNAAM “Accessibility and Use”)
.
From
OSPP
: “It cannot just be a one-way street.”
Repatriation &
Preventing
Misappropriation
Misappropriation is a process in which someone benefits from another group’s culture
without permission
and without giving anything in return.
Repatriation
returns materials, and the control over them, to the communities they came from.
For Relatives:
Ask whether your project needs Indigenous cultural heritage at all
Assume material is restricted until the community says otherwise
UNDRIP
affirms redress and repatriation for cultural property taken without free, prior, and informed consent
(Art. 11–12)
.
PNAAM
calls for returning records obtained through theft or deception and for honoring restrictions on culturally sensitive materials
(PNAAM “Copying and Repatriation”; “Culturally Sensitive Materials”)
.
LEGEND:
Red
= Digital Self-Determination topics
Green
= Relational Action topics
Blue
= Reflexive Praxis topics
Orange
= Notes for Relatives
Purple
= Connection to Materials
