In te ao Māori, as in many Indigenous world views, data is a taonga(external link) that must be cared for and considered contextually. Indigenous data must not be viewed or analysed in isolation as simple numbers and names. It carries its own mana(external link) and whakapapa(external link), which organisations have a responsibility to protect and enhance, and never diminish. At Catalyst IT, Rōpū kohinga are a team dedicated to caring for collections with modern technology and Technical Lead Aleisha Amohia provides insights in this blog. Aleisha (Te Atihaunui a Paparangi, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Hāua, Cambodia, India) covers what to consider when holding Indigenous data, and open source solutions you can use to preserve Indigenous collections.
Home is where the data is
Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst cares deeply about Indigenous data sovereignty and knows that one aspect of this is where data is physically stored.
“Indigenous data sovereignty is concerned with the rights of Indigenous peoples to control data derived from and pertaining to them, and their knowledge systems, customs or territories." – Maggie Walter and Michele Suina, ‘Indigenous Data, Indigenous Methodologies and Indigenous Data Sovereignty’, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 22.
Data sovereignty also refers to the jurisdictional control or legal authority that can be asserted over data, regardless of its physical location.
Libraries based in Aotearoa New Zealand who use Koha through Catalyst will have their data stored in the Catalyst Cloud(external link). This is the only New Zealand-owned and operated open source cloud computing service. That means data stored in the Catalyst Cloud is only subject to New Zealand laws(external link). For example, digital assets stored in DSpace would be kept securely on New Zealand shores, to be used by New Zealand applications.
Rōpū kohinga seek out relevant cloud providers to support collections based overseas, to ensure data sovereignty.
Considering Indigenous data
Indigenous data refers to information or knowledge that is about or from Indigenous people, including but not limited to their:
- languages
- people
- cultures
- resources
- environments.
After we’ve begun to understand data sovereignty and how it applies to Indigenous data, we can then explore how to preserve Indigenous collections. Rōpū kohinga offers open source solutions to preserve Indigenous collections, such as:
- Koha – library management system which can catalogue, describe, and link taonga in a database.
- DSpace – digital repository which stores digital files – documents, images, and more.
- VuFind – combined search engine which can search across multiple databases and websites.
Open source software and Indigenous world views have shared values
Rōpū kohinga enjoys using open source software for Indigenous collections because there is an alignment of value systems. Sometimes technology solutions can fail to feel human, but open source software is inherently by the people, for the people.
There are many examples from the Koha open source community that demonstrate tikanga Māori. Libraries can feel the difference, and have shared with user groups how open source collections software benefits them. Organisations responsible for Indigenous collections can choose systems that were developed with people at the core and still serve their community effectively.
Search multiple databases
VuFind is an open source application that sits on top of a public catalogue enabling you to browse collections. It can provide a combined search of a Koha catalogue as well as other external catalogues and databases. This could make searching for Indigenous resources less daunting and more accessible.
VuFind could also be used to set the focus for Indigenous collections if they exist in the same database as regular collections. As an example of how this could be achieved, Rōpū kohinga recently implemented VuFind for the Auckland University of Technology to collate decades of rainbow research(external link) in a single online portal.
Freedom to innovate and customise
A major benefit of open source collections software such as Koha is the ability to customise your system. This means that your installation of Koha could look completely different to another library’s Koha, in a myriad of ways:
- Elements on the public catalogue can be configured to show or be hidden.
- Blocks of custom text can be added to various sections of the homepage.
- Colours, fonts, and logos can be changed to match your organisation’s style guide.
Possibly the most useful feature of Koha for Indigenous collections is its translatability. Koha can be installed in around 100 languages from around the world. Additionally, custom content can be added in any number of your installed languages. This means Indigenous collections could truly be accessed by the communities they involve through Koha.
Rōpū kohinga are well equipped to support and maintain open source solutions for your organisation and community. The team will prioritise Indigenous data sovereignty and the accessibility of your system to ensure the mana of your collection is preserved and upheld. To learn more about open source solutions for your collection, contact the team.