It is a commonly held view, that data are the new oil of the information economy. Across CANZUS states (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States), we are witnessing the rapid evolution of data technologies across all areas of life. These technologies are said to include benefits such as increasing efficiencies, mitigating or removing human biases in decision-making and capitalising on the availability of information available to us to make the best possible decisions. These benefits however are not evenly distributed amongst all members of society, and often come with a human cost. Nowhere is this more evident than in the experiences of Indigenous communities.
This course will look closely at the unfair distribution of the burdens and benefits of data and technology, with a particular interest in what this looks like for Indigenous communities. Further, it will consider the work that is being done to decolonise data and indigenise technological systems and theorise the potential impact that these efforts may have in practice.