“Local Contexts Labels and Notices in Publications.” Collage of four screenshots: A master’s thesis cover page with the BC Provenance Label icon, an article diagram with a BC Notice icon, an article citation page with a TK Notice icon, and a zine collection credit page with a TK Notice icon.

Did you know the Local Contexts Labels and Notices have been used in a community publication, a zine collection, a Moana plan, theses, and peer-reviewed journal articles? The Local Contexts team is excited to share a new page on our website about publications! localcontexts.org/support/in-p...

Next week, catch the Local Contexts team at the U.S. Indigenous Data Sovereignty & Governance Summit 2026! Our team will be presenting and is excited to be a sponsor of this convening. DM us or contact us through our website to connect.
s2.goeshow.com/usidsn/summi...

“In assembling these collections, no one thought that the communities from where the collections came might come to ask for them back. And that failure to consider all institutional publics is a considerable oversight in mission.” - Jane Anderson, Local Contexts Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor

Event poster: "Local Contexts TK & BC Labels: Tools to Support Indigenous Cultural Authority and IDSov. April 1, 2026, 2-3 pm MST. Learn how Local Contexts tools support Indigenous sovereignty and cultural authority. This session introduces Traditional Knowledge and Biocultural Labels, how they add provenance, protocols, and permissions to data, and how Indigenous communities are using them around the world. Hop Hopkins, Executive Director. Emily Santhanam, Outreach Manager. Corrie Roe, Director of Programs. IndigenousDataLab.org." Decorative background and headshots of the speakers.

We are excited to share about the Local Contexts tools for Indigenous communities in this webinar next week from Indigenous Data Exchange, Collaboratory for IDGov, Indigenous Data Alliance, Indigelab, & NYU ILL! Free registration required and closes March 31.
indigenousdatalab.org/2026-indigen...

Who Controls the Data Controls the Story: Inside #DataBack Day Unlock the future of content, data design, management, and governance with Niiwin. Crafted with Indigenous cultural safety, Niiwin is here to redefine control over your stories and data.

On February 20, Local Contexts team members presented as a part of #DataBack Day, an online convening hosted by Niiwin (by Animikii) & Wabusk Data Solutions, sharing about the TK & BC Labels as practical tools towards #DataBack.
📖 niiwin.app/blog/who-con...
🎦 buttondown.com/databack-day...

❓Are you new to Local Contexts, or could use a refresher? Our 2026 information sessions have been added to our website! Get an overview of Local Contexts with time for your questions. localcontexts.org/events/info-...

Join Us for the March 2026 Ethical Data Initiative Townhall - The Ethical Data Initiative The Ethical Data Initiative (EDI), in partnership with the TUM Think Tank and the University of Exeter, is delighted to invite you to participate in our Annual Multi-Stakeholder Townhall Meeting. This...

Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor Jane Anderson and Executive Director Hop Hopkins will present a keynote at the upcoming @edinitiative.bsky.social Townhall. For registration and more information, see the EDI website: ethicaldatainitiative.org/2025/12/18/j...

Indigenous Data Sovereignty: "E Kore Au E Ngaro [The Connection Remains]" Film Screening and Conversation Please join us for a screening of the short documentary "E Kore Au E Ngaro [The Connection Remains]" and a discussion about Indigenous data sovereignty with Prof. Jane Anderson...

As a part of Love Data Week at New York University, on February 12, NYU Libraries will have an in-person screen E Kore Au E Ngaro | The Connection Remains and discussion with filmmakers Andreas Burgess and Jane Anderson (Local Contexts Co-Founder and Strategic Advisor). nyu.libcal.com/event/16242801

Headshot of Monique Tyndall on a decorative blue background. Black text above reads “Meet the Local Contexts Team. Monique Tyndall.” Below is the Local Contexts Logo, a ring made of black dots.

Please meet Outreach Coordinator Monique Tyndall (she/they/naakmãawã). Monique supports Local Contexts’ outreach efforts associated with the CBIKS. Read more about Monique on our website!
localcontexts.org/about/the-lo...

11th Annual Repatriation Conference The Association on American Indian Affairs 11th Annual Repatriation Conference will feature Native Nation Leaders, academics, lawyers, government officials, foreign institutions, artists and the publi...

Our team will present alongside representatives from the Center for Braiding Indigenous Knowledges and Sciences & Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields as a part of the Association on American Indian Affairs’ 11th Annual Repatriation Conference. Learn more: www.indian-affairs.org/11thannualre...

IEEE Standards Association

The first-ever international standard that calls for “appropriate disclosure of Indigenous peoples’ relationships and/or links to all data” is now available for free download. 🔥 Register on the IEEE site for access. standards.ieee.org/ieee/2890/10...

“Away from our desks, December 24-January 2.” Text inside of circle on decorative background, a green-tinted forest.

📣 The Local Contexts team will be away from our desks Dec 24-Jan 2. If you have any Qs, please contact us through our website, & we will get back to you when we return to our desks on January 5. Our team sends best wishes for a happy Solstice, winter/summer season, & start to the new year!

Thank you to those who donated to support Local Contexts during #GivingTuesday! We launched our donation program to establish the Local Contexts Label Development Fund. To support, you can:
🌿 share this post/our donation page (localcontexts.org/donate/)
🌿 give 1-time
🌿 give monthly

Headshot of Liz Kinnmark on a decorative blue background. Black text above reads “Meet the Local Contexts Team. Liz Kinnmark.” Below is the Local Contexts Logo, a ring made of black dots.

Please meet Strategy and Operations Manager Liz Kinnmark (she/they)! Liz supports Local Contexts’ day-to-day operations and long-term planning, helping strengthen workflows, budgeting, and internal coordination across the team. localcontexts.org/about/the-lo...

This update now allows the Hub account to be listed directly on the researcher's ORCID record.

📣 We are pleased to share an update from our partner @localcontexts.bsky.social.

📌 Researcher accounts in the Local Contexts Hub can now be added to #ORCID records.

Read more on the blog by @shawnasadler.bsky.social: https://wp.me/pcE4o3-9mp

#Researchsky #LocalContexts

Thank you for sharing! We are excited by this new aspect of our partnership!

On #GivingTuesday, we began accepting donations to est. Local Contexts Label Development Fund, which provides capacity support for Indigenous communities to uphold their sovereignty. A gift of any size supports #IDSov tools and resources!
localcontexts.org/donate/

Opening Session and Plenary YouTube video by Living Data 2025

Her insightful presentation, “From Land and Waters to Code and Cloud: Indigenous Data Sovereignty for Biodiversity and Rights-Based Governance,” is a must-watch, with the recording available here: youtu.be/1bi9B62CynE?...
We appreciated Lydia’s shoutouts for Local Contexts & the Labels & Notices!

Those on our team who attended the Living Data conference in Bogotá, Colombia, had the opportunity to attend Lydia’s keynote. The keynote and conference were attended in-person and virtually by around 1,000 biodiversity scientists, researchers, practitioners and other experts.

Giving Tuesday graphic. Text: “Local Contexts’ Biocultural and Traditional Knowledge Labels and Notices within datasets ... is the first time some of these communities are getting to see their data relationships and their knowledge genealogy in biodiversity work at large. This is exciting. This is game-changing. Dr. Lydia Jennings (Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Yoeme) and Huichol (Wixáritari)). Environmental Soil Scientist.” Headshot of Lydia Jennings.

Dr. Lydia Jennings @1nativesoilnerd.bsky.social (Pascua Yaqui Tribe (Yoeme) and Huichol (Wixáritari)) is an environmental soil scientist with a vast number of research projects.

This week, our goal is to raise $5,000US to establish the Fund. We invite you to donate to help advance the authority and local power of Indigenous communities. Donations of any size helps grow the global movement of Indigenous Data Sovereignty!
localcontexts.org/donate/

Local Contexts Giving Tuesday graphic. Text reads: “Join the global movement to recognize Indigenous Data Sovereignty. This Giving Tuesday, your donation helps to strengthen the relationships and tools that uphold Indigenous rights.”

On this #GivingTuesday, we are excited to begin accepting donations to sustain our work & directly support Indigenous communities to uphold their sovereignty. Through your donations, the Local Contexts Label Development Fund provides capacity support for Indigenous communities.

On #GivingTuesday, join the global movement to recognize #IDSov. We are excited to begin accepting donations to establish a capacity fund for Indigenous communities to uphold their sovereignty with the Local Contexts tools. Stay tuned for the launch tomorrow!

Giving Tuesday poster. Text: “In their words. Giving Tuesday. ‘Grounding Indigenous rights in the ‘local context’ is… about creating an infrastructure, and the Traditional Knowledge Labels and Biocultural Labels establish Indigenous cultural authority and governance over data and collections by adding provenance.’ Dr. Katharina Ruckstuhl (Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne ki Wairau). Local Contexts Councilor Community Member.” Headshot of Katharina on decorative background.

Among her many roles, Dr. Katharina Ruckstuhl (Ngāi Tahu, Rangitāne ki Wairau) serves on Rūnaka Executive Committee of Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki, as Associate Professor & Dean at the University of Otago, & Local Contexts Councilor Community Member.
💬: Local Contexts Summit Aotearoa (November 2023)

“Rights recognition. Giving Tuesday. Join the global movement to recognize Indigenous Data Sovereignty. This Giving Tuesday, your donation helps to strengthen the relationships and tools that uphold Indigenous rights."

We have heard again & again that the greatest barrier to communities’ use of Local Contexts is capacity. On #GivingTuesday (December 2), join the global movement to recognize #IDSov & contribute to our capacity fund for Indigenous communities to uphold their sovereignty.

Maui Hudson and Aaron Wilton look in a collections storage cabinet. “Rights recognition. Giving Tuesday. Labels have been used on historic biodiversity specimens and contemporary research.”

Jenn Nepture sitting at a table, creating a small basket. “Rights recognition. Giving Tuesday. Labels have been used on cultural belongings held in institutions and on Tribes’ oral history recordings.”

James Eric Francis Sr. looking at a museum case. “Rights recognition. Giving Tuesday. Labels have been used in museum databases and in Medicine gardens.”

Communities are using the Traditional Knowledge and Biocultural Labels on cultural belongings, waiata (songs), oral history recordings, exhibitions, Medicine gardens, films, apps, biodiversity specimens, genome data, journal articles, theses, websites, datasets and more.

“Rights recognition. Giving Tuesday. Tools for marking Indigenous provenance, protocols, and permissions. Indigenous communities use the Local Contexts Labels to safeguard their culture, data, and rights.”

41 Indigenous communities around the world are using the Local Contexts Labels to safeguard their culture, data, and rights. Communities’ use of Labels clearly defines the provenance, protocols, and permissions around their materials and knowledge, making their authority and rights clear.

Tuesday, November 25, 2025 – For all its promise, AI is a potential threat to culture » Native America Calling On the cusp of what could be a new era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), some researchers are urging caution and the need for deliberate controls to keep the developing technology from robbing Indigeno...

@ncig2013.bsky.social @indigenousdatalab.bsky.social @scbegonias.bsky.social @mediaindigena.bsky.social NativeBio, Indigenous Data Alliance, US Indigenous Sovereignty Network, GIDA and @localcontexts.bsky.social have been saying all of this since 2009. www.nativeamericacalling.com/tuesday-nove...

"By the numbers. Giving Tuesday. Join the global movement to recognize Indigenous Data Sovereignty. This Giving Tuesday, your donation helps to strengthen the relationships and tools that uphold Indigenous rights."

On #GivingTuesday (December 2), we are excited to begin accepting donations to sustain this work and directly support Indigenous communities to uphold their sovereignty.

Stay tuned for more information ahead of the launch next week!

#IndigenousRights #IDSov

"By the numbers. Giving Tuesday. A growing global movement to support Indigenous rights. Local Contexts has been used by Indigenous communities, institutions, researchers, and integration partners around the world."

"By the numbers. Giving Tuesday. Local Contexts Hub. 949 Local Contexts Hub users. 34 countries with active users. 327 Projects published on the Hub. 387 Notices added to materials."

"By the numbers. Giving Tuesday. Labels in use. 196 Traditional Knowledge Labels customized. 42 Biocultural Labels customized. 53 Projects with Labels applied. Through the customization and use of Labels, Indigenous communities make clear the provenance, protocols, and permissions for material."

"By the numbers. Giving Tuesday. Our connections. 117 communities, 305 institutions, 469 researchers. 31 integration partners."

Local Contexts is connected with Indigenous communities, institutions, researchers, and integration partners around the world.

For the past 15 years, our relationships have helped us to build out the Local Contexts Labels and Notices as practical tools for supporting Indigenous rights.