Base de données de recherche des TNO

Régions: Dehcho Region

Objectif(s): The purpose of this research is to understand the need to adopt principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty for wildlife data collected in partnership with Indigenous communities on their traditional territories.

Description du projet: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 5604. The purpose of this research is to understand the need to adopt principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty for wildlife data collected in partnership with Indigenous communities on their traditional territories. Specifically, we aim to: 1) understand potential risks to Indigenous communities and wildlife stewardship of only considering western scientific perspectives of how to govern wildlife data, 2) develop procedural recommendations for supporting self-determination and affirming Indigenous sovereignty over wildlife data, and 3) document a case study or how these recommendations can be applied in partnerships between Indigenous communities and Western scientists. We aim to explore these questions in a two-stage approach. First, we will review literature on Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDS) from around the world and across scientific disciplines. This will help us understand existing IDS frameworks, how wildlife research may benefit from an IDS lens, and what recommendations can be made to researchers. Next, we will work with Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories engaging in collaborative wildlife research to adapt these recommendations to their unique perspectives and apply them to wildlife data collected in their territories. The communities in question are partners within the Northwest Territories Biodiversity Monitoring Program, a collaborative initiative that uses environmental sensors (wildlife cameras, sound recorders) to study wildlife in remote landscapes. Through focus groups with community coordinators, we will explore the unique cultural context of wildlife data collected on Indigenous territories in the Northwest Territories and use the developed recommendations as a general guide for developing data collection and sharing protocols. The resulting recommendations and case study will provide a useful guide for other Indigenous-Western science collaborations and facilitate progress towards wildlife research that supports Indigenous self-determination. Based on recommendations from the Dehcho First Nations government, we will reach out directly by email to potential participants to discuss the purpose of the research, interest in participating, modifications to approach and scope, preferred form of acknowledgement, and timing of focus groups. Following focus groups, summaries will be provided to participants for review and feedback. Participants will also have the opportunity to review and provide feedback on the manuscript prior to publication. Study results will be communicated with participating communities by sharing resulting publications. If desired, the research team will provide presentations or research summaries to be shared with the community in an accessible format. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: January 01 - December 31, 2025