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First Nations Data Sovereignty in Canada

Restoring Control and Advancing Indigenous Governance

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Statistical Highlights

Not applicable

Notable Findings

  • The imposition of federal data systems continues to harm Indigenous governance.

  • Despite growing interest in Indigenous data sovereignty, governments have largely failed to support the infrastructure and rights required to implement it.

  • Key efforts such as OCAP®, FNIGC initiatives, and regional governance projects (e.g., the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council) are reclaiming space and authority over First Nations data.

Abstract

This report by the Yellowhead Institute outlines the historical and contemporary challenges faced by First Nations in asserting sovereignty over their data. It critiques how colonial data collection practices have undermined Indigenous governance and self-determination, especially through the weaponization of census and administrative data. The authors outline the necessity for data that is “by and for” Indigenous Peoples and emphasize the importance of reclaiming control over the creation, stewardship, and dissemination of knowledge. The report draws attention to key efforts across Canada and suggests foundational principles for moving toward Indigenous-led data systems.

This document is valuable to First Nations leadership, policy makers, researchers, and communities as it provides a clear roadmap for implementing data sovereignty in practical and political terms.

RELEASE DATE:

February 2019

CONDUCTED BY:

The Yellowhead Institute

DATA COLLECTION PERIOD:

Not applicable – this is a policy and context paper, not a primary data report

PARTICIPATING COMMUNITIES:

Pan-Canadian focus with specific references to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis data initiatives and governance structures

LENGTH & STRUCTURE:

18 pages, with a narrative format and sectioned insights, including a conclusion and reference list

Why It Matters

This report affirms that data is a tool of power—and that colonial systems have long used it to marginalize and erase Indigenous voices. Reclaiming the ability to gather, interpret, and own data is a key act of sovereignty for First Nations. The authors make it clear that Indigenous communities must not only be included in data practices but must lead them, according to their own laws, values, and visions. For Mi’kmaw and other First Nations communities, this shift is essential for asserting nationhood, directing community development, and ensuring that decision-making is rooted in lived realities—not external statistics. Mawkim’s mission to protect and promote Mi’kmaw knowledge is directly aligned with the insights and goals in this document.

Key Topics

  • Indigenous data sovereignty
  • OCAP®
  • colonial data practices
  • First Nations governance
  • statistical erasure
  • Indigenous self-determination
  • policy reform
  • Indigenous research ethics

“We are counted when it’s convenient and made invisible when it’s not.”

Quoted anonymously within report context
— from the report’s section on statistical erasure.