Creating a digital house of knowledge: ensuring the continuation and integrity of Indigenous knowledge transfers in the digital era

Abstract

Traditional Indigenous knowledge transfer systems have contributed to the sustainability of highly advanced Indigenous societies since time immemorial. These systems have been purposefully targeted since European arrival to the Americas in the late 1400s and early 1500s, consequently creating barriers for Indigenous Peoples as they strive to conduct their traditional knowledge transfer processes within their communities. These barriers, paired with the continual rise and use of global technologies, have created circumstances where many Native Elders and Knowledge Keepers experience difficulty reaching their youth and community members to ensure the successful transfer of Indigenous data and knowledge to current and future generations. This research applies Critical Indigenous Research Methodologies (CIRM), Participant Action Research (PAR), and Grounded Theory (GT), along with data generated from twenty-five project participants, to create a model of an Indigenous-made "Digital House of Knowledge" for those who seek to ensure the continuation and integrity of their distinct Indigenous knowledge transfer systems now and into the future. By discussing critical topics such as the security, privacy, and protection of data, processes for gathering, storing, sharing, accessing, and maintaining data, the design and structural components of digital platforms, and the importance and urgency of the application of traditional Indigenous protocols within the digital realm, this research provides a comprehensive overview of critical key points for the successful gathering, storage, protection, and dissemination of Indigenous data and knowledge within the digital realm.