Description
Evidence synthesis in ecology increasingly integrates diverse knowledge sources, yet often overlooks Indigenous data sovereignty and community governance rights. This session presents three interconnected elements.
First, we present recent findings from a Nature Communications paper applying the CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) to evidence synthesis workflows. We outline how CARE commitments can be operationalized through computational and methodological choices in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Second, we examine Can-Peat as a live case study. Can-Peat demonstrates practical implementation of Indigenous data sovereignty tools — specifically the Local Contexts Labels and Hub — for Canadian peatland research. We share lessons from supporting researchers in applying protocol and permission labels to existing datasets, documenting both successes and ongoing challenges.
Third, we facilitate group discussion on integrating Local Contexts into EcoWeaver, eliciting reflections and ideas on technical and ethical issues. We hope to advance some agenda points on how semantic knowledge structures and AI-based synthesis systems can, especially in the EcoWeaver context, accommodate Indigenous protocols for data access, use, and governance.
The session brings together ecology, Indigenous data governance, philosophy and computer science to ask: What does it look like to build ecological knowledge systems that genuinely center Indigenous authority? We welcome researchers, technologists, and community collaborators interested in responsible, ethical knowledge integration.
| Topic | Topic 1: : Methods for integrating social and ecological knowledge |
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