INDIGIDATA AZ 2025
For 2025, our theme was “Indigenous Health and Artificial Intelligence,” which expanded into conversations centering the D4I Tribal Data Repository (TDR) as a model for culturally responsive digital and policy infrastructure that safeguards Indigenous data. The workshop was held on the lands of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, south of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, with other tours around Central Arizona.
INDIGIDATA AZ 2024
For 2024, our theme was “Our Data Relations: Kinship, Stewardship, Sovereignty in Biocollections,” with discussions on Indigenous biological data repositories and re-envisioning Indigenous data futures. The workshop was held on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, AZ, with other tours around Central Arizona.
INDIGIDATA WA 2023
IndigiData Washington’s theme was “Metabarcoding and qPCR.” These topics expanded into eDNA and environmental studies on the lands of the surrounding Lummi Nation, located near Bellingham Washington, between Seattle and Vancouver.
INDIGIDATA MN 2023
IndigiData Minnesota’s theme was “Gene Editing and Modification,” which expanded into CRISPR Cas-9 and techniques as well as the history of the technology. IndigiData Minnesota was held on the lands of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Nation of Prior Lake, MN, just south of Minneapolis—St. Paul.
Indigenous Innovation, Data Economies, and AI (IDEAS) Summit, March 31, 2023
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) platforms are touted as the next step improving health, constructing digital systems to innovate new technologies, pioneering creative and artistic expression, and driving data economies.
However, these movements necessitate the equitable inclusion of Indigenous peoples and communities in order to not further contribute to data erasures and inequities resulting from algorithmic bias and inattention to power imbalances related to data collection, data storage, and Indigenous data ownership and stewardship. By understanding the current climate of data infrastructures in Tribal, health, and community practices, we aim to empower Indigenous nations to implement AI/ML solutions for their own peoples. This symposium served to build international and national Indigenous ecosystems of support and networking to usher the next generation of Indigenous AI/ML.
We welcomed Indigenous Tribal leaders, academics, thinkers, and entrepreneurs to discuss the future application of emerging data science in growing data economies and workforce development for Indigenous nations worldwide. Additionally, the symposium centered Indigenous data sovereignties as nation-building approaches to driving innovation in all discipline areas in Indian Country.