D4I TDR members Dr. Kali Dale, Dr. Ashlynn Gerth, Joseph Yracheta, MSc, Rebecca Dickinson, and Burt Dillabaugh attended the First Nations Data Sovereignty and Research Conference in Winnipeg, MB January 20th-23rd, 2025. The conference goals were to explore interconnectedness, cultural protocols, collaborations, accountability, governance, and self-determination as they relate to data sovereignty and research.

To kick off the conference, Dr. Kali Dale, Dr. Ashlynn Gerth, and Joseph Yracheta, MSc of Native BioData Consortium gave a talk during grand rounds about the organization they run as a model of self determined indigenous data sovereignty. The three scientists answered community questions regarding disseminating information to various communities to support data sovereignty in First Nations as well as data security measures based on the local storage utilized.

Throughout the conference, three of the D4I TDR team members each gave their own oral presentation.
Joseph Yracheta, MSc gave a presentation titled “Native Bio Data Consortium: Re-indigenization Through Data Sovereignty”. Through his talk, he highlighted the model NativeBio Data Consortium uses to build a safe harbor for Indigenous people’s data that creates a more equitable system for processing and benefitting from data.
Dr. Kali Dale presented “Indigenous-led solutions for an US Federal Public Health Tribal Data Repository with Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles”. She emphasized the importance of protecting Indigenous people’s data by using the CARE principles and building this data repository to keep data in a way that is beneficial for our communities.

Dr. Ashlynn Gerth gave a presentation on “The Power and Politics of Data: Past, Present and Future” through which attendees deepened their understanding of the way politics have shaped the reality of today’s issues with data sovereignty. In particular, the importance of legal experts to navigate the new and changing landscape of AI, making principles into law/statutes/tribal law, and more.
Dr. Kali Dale, Dr. Ashlynn Gerth, and Joseph Yracheta, MSc also participated in a panel discussion “Manitoba and the Dakotas: Across Settler Colonial Borders, Natives Survive, Revive & Thrive” along with Dr. Taylor Morriseau of First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM), and facilitated Dr. Jonathan McGavock of University of Manitoba. They discussed how they each started working on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and complex issues surrounding Native American / Indigenous genomic data ownership, research, and use.

Overall, the scientists were honored to attend the conference and to learn from fellow Indigenous scientists. Joseph reported that he felt the conference was “native focused and native controlled.”
Click here to read more about the First Nations Data Sovereignty and Research Conference.