Letter from the Convenor

On behalf of the Indigenous Data Network, I am delighted to welcome you to this inaugural gathering dedicated to a fundamental pillar of self-determination: Embedding First Nations Data Governance & Sovereignty in Systems, Policy & Practice.

This forum brings together community leaders, policymakers, practitioners and technologists from across the nation. Together, we stand behind a simple, non-negotiable right: Indigenous data must be managed our way. Data is not a passive resource to be extracted; it is an extension of our inherent sovereignty, holding our stories, our ancestral knowledge and our future.

True data sovereignty requires shifting power away from historical extractive practices. It demands that First Nations peoples hold oversight, control and ownership over our information. Systems and digital infrastructures must move past mere consultation to actively respect our right to govern data on our own terms.

Over the next two days, we will focus on action. We will address how emerging technologies like AI can exploit or misrepresent cultural knowledge without proper safeguards, and we will focus on strengthening community capability — building the localised governance frameworks and infrastructure needed to manage our own data ecosystems.

Thank you for bringing your expertise and commitment to this vital conversation as we work to embed our inherent rights as the First Peoples into genuine shared decision-making.

Warm regards,