ScienceAdviser: Shifting from harm to resilience
"Today, in honor of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Science Staff Writer Rodrigo Pérez Ortega speaks with Diné genetic epidemiologist Krystal Tsosie about the holiday and the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty. The rest of this edition of ScienceAdviser is centered on research that is relevant to and/or being conducted by Indigenous scientists and communities...
Your work has focused on Indigenous data sovereignty. Can you tell me more about the current efforts pushing for Native tribes to have control over their own data?
One recent effort is the #DataBack movement, which is about reclaiming control over Indigenous data, specifically genomic and biological data that have been taken and stored without our consent. My colleague, Keolu Fox, and I have been advocating for Indigenous data sovereignty. We’ve even made stickers to raise awareness, and I love seeing them on water bottles and in public spaces. It’s a small, symbolic way to promote the idea that Indigenous data should be returned to the communities it belongs to."
