Aaron Franks

Aaron is the Research Lead of the Data Sovereignty Research Collaborative (DSRC) at the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC). The DSRC is a place for creative inquiry and applied research in First Nations information governance and data sovereignty, including the community-led development of tools and standards for asserting and respecting the First Nations principles of OCAP®. First Nations data is sacred and belongs to the Nation, which is self-determining and self-governing. Data’s sacredness and value is in its relationship to community and community members, including ancestors and generations to come. At the heart of inquiry, learning, and preserving the integrity of data is the principle “We know because we care”. Our work continually strives to uphold these relationships, obligations, and values.

Aaron holds an MA in Social Justice and Equity Studies from Brock University and a PhD in Human Geography from the University of Glasgow. Originally from Edmonton in Treaty Six territory, he is of British, Northern European, and Metis descent with roots in the Anglo-Metis communities of St. Andrews, MB, and Birch Hills, SK. He is a member of the Manitoba Metis Federation and lives on unceded Algonquin territory in Ottawa with his family.

Session:

• Panel C: Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Trust (Saturday, April 13 - 11:10 a.m.)