Conference Agenda

Working with sensitive data in research contexts is always challenging. In case of data which is connected to indigenous communities complexity is even rising due to possibly differing interests and views on historic artifacts. Therefore, in 2018 the CARE principles for Indigenous Data Governance were drafted at the International Data Week and Research Data Alliance Plenary co-hosted event “Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles for the Governance of Indigenous Data Workshop” in Gaborone, Botswana: Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, Ethics (CARE). (Russo Carrol et al. 2020, Deutscher Museumsbund 2025).

They provide a normative framework to guide the ethical governance of data related to indigenous peoples. Rooted in the principles of Indigenous data sovereignty and aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), the CARE Principles respond to long-standing inequities in data practices that have historically marginalized indigenous communities. They seek to reorient data governance toward indigenous rights, values, and self-determination, emphasizing the social and political dimensions of data rather than purely technical considerations. While widely adopted data stewardship frameworks such as the FAIR Principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) prioritize data accessibility and reuse, they often overlook questions of power, authority, and collective benefit. The CARE Principles complement FAIR by foregrounding people, purpose, and responsibility in data ecosystems, yet it can be challenging with aligning both principles (GIDA 2020; Russo Carrol et al. 2020).

The principle of Collective Benefit asserts that data activities should contribute tangible benefits to Indigenous communities and support their social, cultural, and economic well-being. Authority to Control recognizes the inherent rights of Indigenous Peoples to govern the collection, ownership, and use of data that derives from or concerns them. Responsibility calls upon researchers, institutions, and governments to engage transparently, build respectful relationships, and ensure that data practices do not cause harm. Finally, Ethics emphasizes the need to account for historical contexts, mitigate risks, and uphold indigenous values throughout the data lifecycle (GIDA 2020; Russo Carrol et al. 2020).

Overall, the CARE Principles provide a critical ethical and governance framework for researchers, data stewards, and policymakers working with Indigenous data. By centering indigenous rights and perspectives, they contribute to more just, accountable, and culturally grounded data practices and support the development of equitable and sustainable data governance systems (GIDA 2020; Russo Carrol et al. 2020).

The National research data infrastructure for the material remains of human history (NFDI4Objects), funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), works on standards to help making research data accessible in accordance with the FAIR principles. When dealing with artifacts from indigenous communities the CARE principles come into play, a challenge in regard of preparing standards in research data infrastructures. Within NFDI4Objects the research data deals with human remains and artefacts from various societies of origin (Bibby et al. 2023).

The panel aims at discussing in the range of delving deep into the topic of the CARE principles and dealing with them in a sufficient way:

• What challenges are associated with implementing the CARE principles in practice?

• What best practices already exist for applying the CARE principles?

• How can education and awareness of the CARE principles be promoted?

• What do we mean by indigenous? Is the term CARE adequate to describe sensitive data or data for cultural property confiscation outside the indigenous context?

• In which research contexts are the CARE principles actually important?

To have a closer and diverse look at these questions the experts in the panel offer different perspectives:

Holly Wright is an archaeologist and Research Manager at the Archaeology Data Service, specialising in international collaboration and digital infrastructures for heritage data. She is currently involved in the IMLS FAIR + CARE Cultural Heritage Network and the SSHRC Destination Horizon project, Towards a Principled Practice of Archaeology: Building a new ethical framework for digital data in archaeology through the FAIR, CARE and GREENER Principles.

Meike Hopp holds a Professorship for Digital Practices in Cultural Studies and in the Humanities, University of Cologne, and is Executive Chair of the German Lost Art Foundation, Magdeburg. Her research focuses on the digital documentation of cultural heritage, CARE principles, and research data infrastructures.

Lynn Rother is an art historian, Professor of Provenance Studies, and Head of the Provenance Lab at Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Her research focuses on the histories, ownership trajectories, and circulation of cultural objects.

This panel will be moderated by Christin Keller, Managing Director NFDI4Objects, and prehistoric archaeologist. Since 2018, she has focused on developing research data infrastructures in the field of cultural heritage.