Indigenous Copyright Concepts and Indigenous Data Sovereignty: How Libraries and Archives Can Support It

U.S. copyright law does not account for Indigenous knowledge. These items, such as stories, dances, songs, and oral teachings are data and works authored by a sovereign com- munity, not just individuals. Indigenous data sovereignty provides that data and cultural knowledge are subject to Tribal protections. Tribes have the right as a sovereign nation to govern the collection, ownership, and application of its own data and cultural knowledge. Assimilating Indigenous knowledge into non-Indigenous works is a copyright issue from an Indigenous perspective. Librarians can identify these Indigenous copyright issues to support local Indigenous Peoples and promote efforts toward achieving Indigenous data sovereignty.