This eBook, #DataBack | Recognize and Reclaim Indigenous Data Sovereignty, is about why Indigenous Peoples must have the right to govern their own data. It explains how the common phrase “data is the new oil” reflects a colonial way of treating information as something to be extracted and sold. For Indigenous Peoples, data is part of culture, land, language, and collective identity, and protecting it is essential to survival and self-determination.
The book defines Indigenous Data Sovereignty as the right of Indigenous nations to control the collection, ownership, and use of their information. It gives examples of how outsiders have recorded songs, stories, and languages, then claimed ownership and tried to sell them back to communities. These practices are linked to the same systems of colonization that took land, resources, and cultural practices.
The #DataBack movement is presented as a call to action. It is connected to #LandBack and #CashBack, and it demands a return of what rightfully belongs to Indigenous Peoples. At the same time, it highlights how Indigenous communities are using data governance to renew traditions, languages, and worldviews in the digital age.
The eBook is written for Indigenous governments and organizations. It provides accessible explanations of data sovereignty, practical tools for governance, and examples of challenges and opportunities. It emphasizes the principle of “nothing about us without us” and connects directly to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which protects Indigenous rights to maintain, control, and develop their sciences, knowledge, and technologies.