Forum Agenda

Chairperson’s Address 

Indigenous data must be managed our way: the case for embedding First Nations data governance and sovereignty in systems, policy and practice.

Themes: Self-determination in data governance; respect and responsibility

Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO

Associate Provost; Co-founder, Indigenous Data Network, The University of Melbourne

Keynote: AI and the Indigenous Data Future — Who Decides What the Machine Learns?

How artificial intelligence can exploit or misrepresent cultural knowledge without proper safeguards and how First Nations governance can shape an Indigenous data future in which AI serves, rather than undermines, our rights as Indigenous peoples.

Themes: AI and Indigenous data challenges; self-determination in data governance

Professor Peter Anderson

Pro Vice-Chancellor Indigenous; Chair, Indigenous Data Network Advisory Group, University of New England

Plenary: Cultural Data at Scale: Repatriation, Digital Return and the Future of Indigenous Knowledge Infrastructure

Professor Gaye Sculthorpe

Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University

Professor Eun Jung Holden

Digital Innovation, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne

Deakin Distinguished Professor Andrea Witcomb

Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies, Deakin University

The Framework for the Governance of Indigenous Data: HASS and Indigenous Research Data Commons

The ARDC-published Framework as a foundation for national practice: what it requires of institutions, researchers and infrastructure providers, and the pathway toward an Indigenous NCRIS facility under the forthcoming NCRIS Roadmap.

Themes: Self-determination in data governance; policy alignment, partnerships and shared decision-making

Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO

Associate Provost; Co-founder, Indigenous Data Network, The University of Melbourne

Robert McLellan

Program Manager, Language Data Commons of Australia, University of Queensland

Associate Professor Kristen Smith

Research Director, Indigenous Studies Unit, Onemda; Co-founder, Indigenous Data Network, The University of Melbourne

Jenny Fewster

Director, HASS and Indigenous RDC, Australian Research Data Commons

The Indigenous Data Commons

The design, governance and operation of the Indigenous Data Commons, with users of the Commons discussing community-controlled deposit, access and benefit in practice.

Themes: Indigenous data infrastructure and control; community-led data priorities and benefit

Laureate Professor Marcia Langton AO

Associate Provost; Co-founder, Indigenous Data Network, The University of Melbourne

Associate Professor Kristen Smith

Research Director, Indigenous Studies Unit, Onemda; Co-founder, Indigenous Data Network, The University of Melbourne

Keynote: The Closing the Gap Strategy and our data rights

The Productivity Commission as a custodian and steward of Indigenous data: ethical data collection, sharing and reporting.

Themes: Ethical data stewardship and accountability; policy alignment, partnerships and shared decision-making

Selwyn Button

Indigenous Commissioner, Productivity Commission

Panel discussion: Ethical data stewardship and accountability

Themes: Ethical data stewardship and accountability; policy alignment, partnerships and shared decision-making

Selwyn Button

Indigenous Commissioner, Productivity Commission

Professor Tom Calma AO

National Coordinator for Tackling Indigenous Smoking

Principle to Practice: Embedding Indigenous Data Sovereignty in Health Policy and Systems

Presenters: Shaun Lohoar and Kaarl Waldrop – Aboriginal Strategy, Insights and Governance team, Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Division, Victorian Department of Health.

Shaun Lohoar

Principal Policy Advisor, Victorian Department of Health

Kaarl Waldrop

Principal Project Officer, Strategy, Insights and Governance, Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing Division, Department of Health

Closing the Gap Strategy and how data represents us: What needs to be done?

Leading practitioners in Indigenous data governance will provide key insights on the status of Indigenous health data in the government policy and reporting system. They will explore the origins of the Closing the Gap Strategy and its development as a national tool for measuring our progress from the 2005 Social Justice Report and the campaign for health equality to the National Agreement on Closing the Gap and the data challenges of shared accountability and Indigenous data capability. This session offers participants a rare opportunity to put their questions directly to leaders in the Indigenous health sector and the agencies with national responsibilities for Indigenous data.

Themes: Ethical data stewardship and accountability; ethics and responsibility; Closing the Gap in health disadvantages; community-led data priorities and benefit

Selwyn Button

Indigenous Commissioner, Productivity Commission

Dr Fadwa Al Yaman

Head of First Nations Health and Welfare Group, Australian Institute of Health & Welfare

Raymond Branker

Director, Human Services, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Community Health Service

Professor Tom Calma AO

National Coordinator for Tackling Indigenous Smoking

Themes: Community-led data priorities and benefit; a curated showcase of new and little-known developments in Indigenous data infrastructure, reporting platforms and community dashboards.

Robert McLellan

Program Manager, Language Data Commons of Australia, University of Queensland

Lauren Reed

Director, AIATSIS Centre for Australian Languages; Honorary Lecturer, School of Literature, Languages & Linguistics, The Australian National University

Professor Emeritus Linda Barwick

Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney

Close of Day One

Followed by a welcome reception