Getting to Grips With Indigenous Data

Changes to the types of data collected about First Nations people, how it is used and who controls it are needed to progress towards improving the lives and futures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In brief: 

• Despite significant attention in the past few decades, limited progress has been made on the Closing the Gap targets.
• The Report argues that the types of information collected about First Nations people should be less focused on traditional western definitions and more on:
  • Indigenous data - including details about culture, context, the environment, land, skies and resources; and
  • Indigenous Data Sovereignty - the right for Indigenous people to own, control, access and possess data that derive from them.

Getting to Grips With Indigenous Data highlights successful applications of Indigenous Data Governance and Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles, and calls for greater support for Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisations and Indigenous-led research.