As Truth and Reconciliation Day approaches in Canada, we are called to think about what sovereignty means today. For First Nations, sovereignty is the right to make their own decisions, to protect their culture, and to guide the future of their communities. This is not only political, but also about social and economic well being. It includes resources, knowledge, and increasingly, digital spaces.

It is also important to recognize the past and ongoing impacts of colonialism. Too often, Indigenous knowledge and practices have been taken or controlled by outsiders. In the digital era, reconciliation means making sure privacy is respected and sacred traditions are protected. This is the heart of Indigenous data sovereignty.

What Is Data Sovereignty?

At its simplest, data sovereignty means that data belongs under the control and laws of the people it comes from.

For Indigenous communities, this means having authority over how information like health records, language archives, or community history is collected, stored, and shared. It ensures that what is sacred stays protected and that outsiders cannot take or misuse it.

Examples of Indigenous data sovereignty in practice include:

• Community-owned servers that keep sensitive information under Indigenous control rather than in outside systems.
• Apps such as language learning tools built and governed by Indigenous organizations so knowledge is shared without losing ownership.
• Research projects that return all collected data to the communities who provided it.

These examples show how sovereignty today is not only about land or leadership. It also means having the right to decide what happens to knowledge and identity in digital spaces.

How to Think About Data Sovereignty

Indigenous data sovereignty also invites us to look at our own relationship with data. Some questions to reflect on include:

• Control: Who holds the data you depend on? Is it close to you, or in someone else’s hands?
• Infrastructure: Do you know where your data lives, and who runs the systems that hold it?
• Protection: How is private or sensitive information being kept safe?
• Purpose: Is data being used to build strength and trust, or in ways that take more than they give back?

For First Nations, these questions are directly tied to sovereignty and self-determination. For others, they can open space to think about how data is treated and whether it is respected as more than just numbers.

Technology as a Tool for Reconciliation

Technology can either repeat colonial patterns or support reconciliation. If data is extracted and controlled by outsiders, it risks repeating the harms of the past. But if technology is shaped and led by Indigenous communities, it becomes a tool of empowerment.

Examples include:

• Digital archives where communities decide what knowledge is public and what remains sacred.
• Indigenous-led technology businesses that create economic independence on reserve lands.
• Apps and AI that leverage sovereign data internally for the Nation’s good.

True reconciliation means creating space for Indigenous people to own and shape technology in ways that respect their own goals and independence. When technology is guided by these principles, it supports cultural survival, economic strength, and community well-being.

Closing Reflection

As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches, Indigenous data sovereignty reminds us that sovereignty is not only about politics or land. It’s also cultural, economic, and digital. Honouring it means respecting privacy, protecting sacred knowledge, and allowing communities to decide what happens to their information.

Indigenous data sovereignty shows us that reconciliation is about shaping the future with respect, care, and protection. When communities guide their own data, culture and identity are strengthened for generations to come.