Mara Celebrates National Indigenous History Month & National Indigenous Peoples Day
20/06/2024
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June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada and June 21st is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This is a time to recognize, honour, and celebrate the diverse cultures and achievements of all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples living in Canada.
Our collective history and present day challenges remind us that reconciliation is more than an idea, but is a way of being in the world. It’s about how we live and work together, to overcome colonial ideology and prejudices that are woven into mainstream culture, norms, language, and institutions, which in turn shape the way we each see one another and our world.
In the realm of Privacy, this means taking a culturally mindful approach to data governance – like educating ourselves on the diversity of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. How is data collection, analysis, and governance practiced in a given community? What are the norms and practices in their unique context?
One expression of Indigenous data practices is found in the principles of OCAP® which assert First Nations’ right to Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession of Indigenous population data as an expression of their right to self-governance and self-determination.
One way Mara is taking reconciliACTION is by supporting members of the Mara team to complete the First Nations Information Governance Centre’s training – The Fundamentals of OCAP®. We are working to ensure these important principles are reflected in our work, our approach, and our way of thinking when it comes to privacy, and all our practices areas.
This National Indigenous History Month let’s all take the time to deepen our understanding and commitment to reconciliACTION.
Stay tuned for a future article on incorporating OCAP® principles into privacy management programs.
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