Southcentral Foundation urges indigenous data sovereignty, community-controlled research in draft bill

ANCHORAGE — Southcentral Foundation told the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs that any research and data office included in the draft Native Children package must respect indigenous data sovereignty and enable community control over the collection, ownership and use of tribal data.

“Indigenous data sovereignty is the right to govern the collection, ownership and use of our own data,” said a Southcentral Foundation representative. The foundation described an Alaska Native Institutional Review Board, community-aligned policies on data collection and a workforce trained in data security and stewardship.

Panelists argued that community-controlled data infrastructure improves trust, increases research participation and ensures data are used in ways that benefit rather than harm communities. They recommended clear governance, privacy protections and criteria for when and how data should be shared with federal and state partners.

Senator Murkowski said the draft contemplates an office to house data on Native people and noted the importance of crafting that body in close collaboration with tribal organizations to protect privacy and cultural values.

The committee will consider the testimony as it finalizes the research and data provisions; no statutory language was adopted at the roundtable.