SOUTHERN PLAINS TRIBAL
HEALTH BOARD
DECOLONIZING DATA
“Decolonizing” data means moving away from colonial, western-focused methods of collecting and using information and creating new practices that are led by and to the benefit of indigenous peoples and their communities. It includes identifying indigenous people control and ownership of their data, recognizing harmful systems, and making indigenous knowledge, values, and ways-of-knowing at the center of a more indigenous-centered framework. The goal is to challenge existing methods in how data is collected, analyzed, and shared and to support tribal sovereignty and collective freedom.
KeyPrinciplestoDecolonizingData:
Indigenous control and ownership: Reclaiming the right of indigenous peoples to own, control, and govern their own data.
Centering indigenous knowledge: Prioritizing indigenous paradigms, theories, and data practices over dominant Western frameworks.
Dismantling harmful systems: Actively working to deconstruct western-focused methods and challenge the structures of inequality that data-centric technology can perpetuate.
Strengths-based approach: Focusing on the resilience and inherent strength of Indigenous peoples, using data to tell complete and empowering stories rather than focusing only on disparities.
Community governance: Ensuring communities are involved in every step of the data process, from collection and analysis to how and when data is shared.
Accountability: Holding entities accountable for their harmful data practices and shifting the focus to needs of the community and of future generations.
