Digital Sovereignty: Making Data Sovereignty Real
Indigenous data sovereignty is the right of First Nations to govern data about their peoples, lands, and Nations.
It is grounded in self-determination and expressed through frameworks like OCAP®.
In practice, that governance often takes place inside digital systems. The databases, software platforms, and cloud services that Nations rely on dictate how data are stored, how they can be used, and how much it costs to do so. They determine whether a Nation can make a decision in accordance with its own worldview and carry it out directly, or whether it has to work within the constraints of a system it does not control.
In other words, data sovereignty is often constrained by the digital tools available. Data sovereignty is not just about ownership of data. It is also about whether a Nation has the ability within its digital systems to say “no”, unilaterally, and without losing access to its own information or the ability to govern it.
It depends on whether a Nation can:
Access and use its data without relying on a proprietary vendor
Shape how its data are structured and processed
Move its data without loss or prohibitive cost
Share its data without complex or bespoke solutions
Continue operating if a system changes or is no longer available
Where Control Actually Sits
Most Nations rely on software and infrastructure built, owned, and operated by large technology companies outside of their territories. These systems are part of everyday governance. They are used to manage programs, store records, and deliver services.
Those systems work. They provide scale, reliability, and functionality that are difficult to reproduce.
Those companies also set the terms, based on their own economic interests and reflecting the majority of society’s language, worldview, and preferences.
Data are structured according to their platform and treated in accordance with their terms. Access is mediated through their platform. Data are fed into AI models for training. Costs, licensing, and system changes are also determined by these companies. Over time, those conditions shape what a Nation can do with its own data, how easily it can make and act on its own decisions, and what it would take to do something different.
For example, a Nation may not be able to export its data in a usable format without additional cost or technical work, if at all. Integrations between systems depend on vendor support, which may be limited, costly, or discontinued. Data fields may not reflect how a Nation organizes its knowledge, language, or relationships.
If continuing to use your own data requires maintaining access to a specific vendor, control is ceded or shared in ways that are not always visible in day-to-day use.
Infrastructure Choices and Their Consequences
Some Nations are responding by changing where their data live, such as developing custom software solutions, locating servers in community, and standing up data centres.
This introduces new complexities. These systems need to be secured, updated, and maintained while technology continues to rapidly change. Systems are built in different ways, making it harder to work across Nations on shared priorities, services, and clients. Those that cannot make this a priority for their time and funding have to accept the status quo. Those that do make it a priority lose the benefits of economies of scale, such as 24/7 security, protections against natural disasters or other emergencies, and staffing redundancies, among many others.
These conditions point to a practical requirement. Systems need to be maintainable over time, adaptable as needs change, and usable across different contexts. They also need to reduce duplication, since building and maintaining separate systems for the same functions carries real cost across multiple Nations. This is where shared infrastructure comes into use.
Building at the Right Scale
Through the BC RIGC, Nations are building and maintaining shared digital infrastructure that is designed for governance use, aligned with OCAP®, and structured so that each Nation retains full authority over its own data.
The Build Your Own Data Centre (BYODC) is one way this is being implemented.
The platform is structured to address the conditions described above:
Each nation operates within its own secure environment
Data are stored in open, portable formats
Access is defined according to Nation-specific roles and protocols
The underlying codebase is open and inspectable
Infrastructure is maintained centrally, reducing the burden on individual Nations
This concentrates the technical work required to run modern systems, while keeping decision-making authority with each Nation.
The practical effect of this kind of infrastructure is already visible in how Nations are carrying out their work.
Data Sovereignty in Practice: Tla’amin Nation
Tla’amin Nation’s recent census, taq̓atštəm, shows how these conditions come together in practice.
The census was designed and run by Tla’amin, using their own questions and governance structures. It was carried out within their BYODC environment, where the Nation defined how data were collected, accessed, and used.
More than 70 staff members across departments were given access based on their roles. Data are now being used across program areas, including child and family services, anti-racism work, and planning. Since completing the census, Tla’amin is conducting more specific surveys. All of these surveys will be stored together in the same place in the BYODC.
No external platform controlled the process. No external organization has access to the data unless Tla’amin chooses to share it.
At the same time, Tla’amin did not have to build and maintain the full technical system independently. The infrastructure was already in place, and could be configured to match the Nation’s governance approach. They were able to access technical expertise and onboarding support without cost to them.
This is what it looks like when data sovereignty and digital sovereignty are aligned.
The Work Ahead
Data sovereignty is exercised through the systems Nations rely on every day.
Those systems are not neutral. They shape what can be done, what it costs, and what it takes to change direction. Digital sovereignty, in this context, focuses on how those systems support a Nation’s ability to govern its own data.
Shared approaches, like the BYODC, make it possible to maintain control while reducing the technical and financial burden on individual Nations, and to build systems that enable coordination between Nations, and which can be sustained and adapted over time.
If your Nation would like to explore how the BYODC can support your data sovereignty work, we invite you to contact us.
