[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":53},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blogpost-data-commons-as-infrastructure-for-indigenous-led-ai:en":3,"blogpost-related-data-commons-as-infrastructure-for-indigenous-led-ai:en":16},{"id":4,"brow":5,"cover_image":6,"date":7,"excerpt":8,"extension":9,"heading":10,"main_content":11,"meta":12,"slug":13,"stem":14,"tagline":8,"__hash__":15},"blogposts\u002Fblogposts\u002Fdata-commons-as-infrastructure-for-indigenous-led-ai.json","Blog","https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F7ba105cd-798e-4902-83f6-a2e1cc405acf","2026-10-05",null,"json","Data Commons as Infrastructure for Indigenous-Led AI","\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">By Stefaan Verhulst and Andrew Zahuranec\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cem>What would it take for Indigenous communities not simply to be represented in the emerging AI ecosystem but to shape, govern, and benefit from it?\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">That question is what animated our event during UNGA High-Level Week on Advancing Public Interest AI Through Data Commons for Indigenous Languages and Cultures. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The discussion brought together Indigenous leaders and technologists, funders, researchers, international organizations, civil society, and industry around a growing challenge: As AI becomes embedded in education, public services, cultural production, and everyday life, many Indigenous communities are being drawn into AI systems that they did not design, using data they may not control, and reflecting assumptions and values that may not be their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The stakes are particularly high for Indigenous languages and cultural knowledge. AI could become a powerful instrument for language revitalization, education, cultural transmission, and economic opportunity. But without different approaches to data, infrastructure, governance, and investment, it could just as easily reproduce longstanding patterns of extraction while amplifying misinformation. This leads to weaker foundations of reliable information for AI and other systems that subsequently harm communities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“The challenge is to ensure that Indigenous communities can govern, use, and benefit from their own knowledge in the digital era.” (Participant)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Five themes emerged from the discussion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002Fa04d9026-37c5-4589-beaf-5dbe152ee088.png?width=1198&height=672\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026 10 05 at 11.40.15 Am\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">1. Indigenous AI must start with Indigenous agency\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">A central message was that Indigenous languages cannot simply be approached as another category of “low-resource” languages to which existing AI techniques are applied. Languages exist within particular communities, histories, cultural practices, and systems of knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This means moving beyond efforts to make mainstream AI systems marginally more representative. The ambition should be to enable Indigenous-led AI solutions—built by and with communities according to their own priorities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This is especially important given persistent inequalities in access to technology, connectivity, education, and technical expertise. Indigenous peoples remain substantially underrepresented among those designing advanced technologies while their communities and cultures continue to be subject to both romanticization and stigmatization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">One powerful idea raised during the discussion was that wisdom itself should be understood as expertise. Communities already possess knowledge, capabilities, and governance practices. The challenge is to ensure they also have the technical capacity, infrastructure, financing, and institutional leverage to translate that expertise into the digital and AI systems increasingly shaping their futures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Indigenous voices therefore need to be present not only as stakeholders consulted about technology but where technology and data policies are actually being set.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“We are a special class within the legal infrastructure. We are not states” (Indigenous Leader)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">2. Data sovereignty requires infrastructure, not just principles\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">A second theme concerned ownership and control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Participants repeatedly returned to the reality that Indigenous data and cultural knowledge have often been collected, digitized, stored, or commercialized by institutions outside the communities from which they originated. Past experiences with language digitization and preservation efforts also demonstrate that people may make very different choices when they fully understand how their contributions could ultimately be used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“Can we redirect energy so that the work is beneficial and not just an exploitative act?” (Indigenous Leader)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Consent at the moment of collection is therefore not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Communities need enduring mechanisms through which they can determine who can access data, for what purposes, under what conditions, and how benefits are distributed. Possible institutional mechanisms include data trusts, community-controlled digital infrastructure, stewardship arrangements, and data commons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The broader lesson is that Indigenous data sovereignty needs to be made operational. Governance principles matter, but they must be translated into actual institutions, technical architectures, stewardship roles, access rules, and mechanisms for accountability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This is where data commons can be especially important—not necessarily as spaces where everything is open but as shared infrastructures through which communities can collectively govern access and reuse according to their own values.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">3. The goal should be sustainability, not permanent dependence\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Perhaps the strongest recurring message concerned sustainability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Too many promising Indigenous technology and language initiatives remain dependent on short-term grants. A project receives philanthropic funding, builds a dataset or tool, demonstrates its potential—and then confronts a funding cliff.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Participants called for a transition away from this cycle toward models capable of supporting long-term Indigenous economic and technological agency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This does not mean philanthropy has no role. Philanthropic capital can be essential for experimentation, capacity building, and infrastructure. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Possible approaches discussed included trust funds, shared infrastructure, community-owned enterprises, benefit-sharing mechanisms, and revenue models built around Indigenous-controlled assets and services.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The objective is not simply to sustain individual projects. It is to build an ecosystem in which communities possess the resources and capabilities to continue developing solutions on their own terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“This can be a win-win. AI models that really take into account the central issue of common goods are the only ones that can benefit all our societies. Multilingualism is fundamental to the future of the digital world.” (Indigenous Leader)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The shift is important. It is a call to move the ecosystem from funding projects for Indigenous communities toward investing in Indigenous capacity, ownership, and economic independence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">4. Local and contextual AI may offer an alternative to one-size-fits-all models\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The discussion also challenged the assumption that Indigenous inclusion requires putting every language and cultural resource into ever-larger foundation models.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Work with low-resource languages points toward another possibility: accomplishing more with carefully targeted data, community knowledge, and feedback from native speakers. Rather than creating enormous centralized datasets, smaller retrieval, augmentation, or locally controlled layers could potentially allow communities to develop useful language capabilities while retaining greater control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This connects to a broader proposition raised during the discussion: good AI may need to be contextual AI.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“It’s about building a digital and AI ecosystem in which Indigenous languages, cultures, and knowledge have a meaningful place, where communities have greater agency over their data and where innovation serves the public interest.” (Indigenous Leader)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Instead of expecting one universal system to adequately represent thousands of languages, cultures, and epistemologies, we should explore architectures that allow AI to be adapted locally—reflecting community norms, knowledge, governance rules, and linguistic practices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Such an approach also has implications for infrastructure. Each community does not necessarily need to recreate every component of the AI stack. Shared technical resources can coexist with local control, provided the architecture is designed around subsidiarity: decisions should be made as close as possible to the communities affected by them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The goal is not to replace one centralized authority with another but to enable communities to collaborate as equals while retaining autonomy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">5. Collaboration is essential—but it must be centered on Indigenous leadership\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">None of this can be accomplished by communities acting alone. There are important roles for philanthropy, universities, international organizations, governments, civil society, and technology companies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">But collaboration needs to be structured differently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The traditional model often begins with an external organization designing a program and subsequently inviting Indigenous communities to participate. The discussion suggested reversing that logic: start with community-defined needs and then assemble the capabilities required to address them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Universities can contribute technical or analytic expertise; philanthropy can provide patient capital; companies can contribute infrastructure and expertise; international organizations can connect initiatives to emerging debates around data governance and benefit sharing; and civil society organizations can contribute practical experience and networks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">What matters is who sets the direction, who makes the decisions, and who ultimately owns what is created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This also suggests a need for stronger connective infrastructure across Indigenous initiatives themselves. Directories, networks, shared frameworks, and opportunities to aggregate currently fragmented efforts could help communities learn from and support one another. The aim should not be to homogenize Indigenous communities—quite the opposite. It should be to create mechanisms through which diverse communities can share capacity without surrendering autonomy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">From principles to action\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The discussion ended with a palpable sense of urgency. Communities cannot wait for the theory to be perfected before acting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">“AI is racing ahead. The urgency calls us to really work together.” (Participant)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">AI systems are already shaping education, information, language, and cultural representation. Choices being made today about training data, infrastructure, intellectual property, governance, and investment will determine who possesses agency tomorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The challenge, then, is not simply to preserve Indigenous languages by incorporating them into AI. It is to ask more consequential questions:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Can we build an AI ecosystem in which Indigenous communities have the capacity to determine how their languages, knowledge, and data are used—and to build and benefit from AI themselves? How can AI ecosystems involve communities directly and be more participatory?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Doing so requires moving simultaneously on several fronts: Indigenous-led technical capacity; community ownership and governance of data; sustainable economic models; contextual and locally appropriate AI architectures; and partnerships that place Indigenous communities in positions of decision-making power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Data commons could provide an important piece of that infrastructure. But the ultimate goal is larger than any particular technical or institutional model.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">It is a shift from extraction to stewardship, from consultation to governance, from grant dependence to economic agency, and from inclusion in somebody else’s AI future to the capacity to build one’s own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">We will strive to act on the signals received from this event through our \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002F\">New Commons Incubator\u003C\u002Fa>, which seeks to provide dedicated support for Indigenous communities looking for ways to better govern and act on their data. If you’d like to support us in this effort, please reach out to us at \u003Ca href=\"mailto:newcommons@opendatapolicy.org\">newcommons@opendatapolicy.org\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>",{},"data-commons-as-infrastructure-for-indigenous-led-ai","blogposts\u002Fdata-commons-as-infrastructure-for-indigenous-led-ai","DnObYlHj9Ulm_pGCNPj1h-yqozjGl_IUfXZyVf-_1Sg",[17,19,30,42],{"id":4,"brow":5,"cover_image":6,"date":7,"excerpt":8,"extension":9,"heading":10,"main_content":11,"meta":18,"slug":13,"stem":14,"tagline":8,"__hash__":15},{},{"id":20,"brow":5,"cover_image":21,"date":22,"excerpt":8,"extension":9,"heading":23,"main_content":24,"meta":25,"slug":26,"stem":27,"tagline":28,"__hash__":29},"blogposts\u002Fblogposts\u002Fnavigating-indigenous-data-sovereignty-in-the-age-of-ai.json","https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002Fcbd53c8d-17bd-47ee-8b96-52493aad3237","2026-09-01","Navigating Indigenous Data Sovereignty in the Age of AI","\u003Cp>\u003Cem>By Stefaan Verhulst, Jordan Harris, Andrew J. Zahuranec, Maui Hudson, Chantal Kamgne, and WarīNkwī Flores\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Indigenous communities face two related threats from AI: marginalization from digital advancement and extraction of their cultural knowledge and language without consent or benefit. One way to address these challenges is to create pathways for Indigenous communities to exercise meaningful control over how their data is collected, governed, and used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Ahead of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, The GovLab hosted a webinar featuring Indigenous experts \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fchantalkamgne\u002F\">Chantal Kamgne\u003C\u002Fa> (Localizzz \u002F EngageAfricaNLP), \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Findigenousdatalab.org\u002Fteam-member-nkwi-flores\u002F\">WarīNkwī Flores\u003C\u002Fa> (\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.kin-ray-hub.com\u002F\">Kinray Hub\u003C\u002Fa> \u002F Kara::Kichwa), and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprofiles.waikato.ac.nz\u002Fmaui.hudson\">Maui Hudson\u003C\u002Fa> (Te Kotahi Research Institute \u002F Local Contexts) to explore how data commons can offer a middle path toward true data self-determination. The webinar was moderated by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.linkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fstefaan-verhulst\">Stefaan Verhulst\u003C\u002Fa> (The GovLab), and Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi (UNESCO) provided closing remarks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Three major themes emerged from that discussion, which we detail below: the ability of data commons to serve as a tool for self-determination; how there cannot be one-size-fits-all solution to governance because such arrangements become a power instrument of top-down pressure; and the need for large institutions to “walk the talk” when it comes to supporting Indigenous communities to take control of their data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Ciframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.youtube.com\u002Fembed\u002FHurkmwPtdf0?si=4Xl9G8ncO9KTONtL\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\">\u003C\u002Fiframe>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">Beyond the Binary: Data Commons as a Tool for Self-Determination \u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Steward Data Common Ecosystems—collaboratively governed ecosystems that pool responsible and ethical data access for the public good—offer a viable alternative to extractive “open” data practices. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This idea was highlighted through several key exchanges about data ownership and community partnership design. Panelist WarīNkwī Flores emphasized that \"data\" itself is often a contested concept. For many Andean and Amazonian biocultural communities, it represents living ways of being, ways of doing, ways of knowing, ways of not knowing, and embodied biocultural practices rather than numerical variables and mere FPIC checkboxes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Without intentional governance, AI risks repeating historical patterns of apartheid engagement in which communities are invited as cultural symbols rather than equity shareholder negotiators. Because AI only accesses what is already digitized, bridging the digital divide requires operationalizing community autonomy’s rule of law—including the choice of voluntarily isolated populations who may not want digital transformation intervention at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">This also means resisting the tendency to make technology solutionism the starting point. As Maui Hudson emphasized, the goal should not be to assemble Indigenous language resources for AI, but to strengthen those resources for Indigenous communities themselves. AI may be a useful tool toward that end, but it should follow community priorities rather than define them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong> \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">Toolboxes Over One-Size-Fits-All Governance \u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">There is no single legal framework that fits every territory. Throughout the discussion, panelists advocated for a \"toolbox approach,\" combining global instruments such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.un.org\u002Fdevelopment\u002Fdesa\u002Findigenouspeoples\u002Fwp-content\u002Fuploads\u002Fsites\u002F19\u002F2018\u002F11\u002FUNDRIP_E_web.pdf\">UNDRIP\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fieeexplore.ieee.org\u002Fdocument\u002F11302960\">IEEE std 2890-2025\u003C\u002Fa>, and renewing the attention of \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gida-global.org\u002Fcareprinciples\">CARE Principles\u003C\u002Fa> (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) to redirect data actors to territorial data governance with practical tools such as \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Flocalcontexts.org\u002Flabels\u002Ftraditional-knowledge-labels\u002F\">Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels\u003C\u002Fa> developed by Local Contexts, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.1016\u002Fj.cosust.2026.101661\">Kara::Kichwa Data Sovereignty\u003C\u002Fa>, \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fdoi.org\u002F10.5281\u002Fzenodo.18675312\">Sovereign Data Supply Chain\u003C\u002Fa>, and \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fzenodo.org\u002Frecords\u002F21865509\">Place-based Relational Infrastructure - Automatization of FPIC\u003C\u002Fa> by Kinray Hub and Partners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Key practical takeaways included:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Cstrong>Platform Fine Print\u003C\u002Fstrong>: Standard commercial platforms frequently claim ownership over uploaded data in their terms of service, requiring communities to carefully select hosting environments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Cstrong>BioKultural Impact Assessment (BKIA):\u003C\u002Fstrong> Frameworks like those created by \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.kin-ray-hub.com\u002F\">Kinray Hub\u003C\u002Fa> allow communities to assess their own readiness, priorities, and governance rules before formal \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.un.org\u002Fdevelopment\u002Fdesa\u002Findigenouspeoples\u002Fpublications\u002F2016\u002F10\u002Ffree-prior-and-informed-consent-an-indigenous-peoples-right-and-a-good-practice-for-local-communities-fao\u002F\">Free, Prior, and Informed Consent\u003C\u002Fa> (FPIC) processes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Cstrong>Community-Defined Priorities: \u003C\u002Fstrong>As Chantal Kamgne noted using Cameroonian language examples, projects must solve immediate local needs—such as accessing emergency services or restoring traditional land management—rather than satisfying external tech metrics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong> \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">Walking the Talk: The New Commons Incubator \u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Closing remarks from \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unesco.org\u002Fen\">UNESCO\u003C\u002Fa>’s Guilherme Canela highlighted how AI has forced the convergence of multilingualism, open solutions, and data governance. Aligned with \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.unesco.org\u002Fen\u002Fdecades\u002Findigenous-languages\">the International Decade of Indigenous Languages\u003C\u002Fa>, the New Commons Incubator aims to translate these theoretical rights into concrete proposals by supporting Indigenous-led teams in building fundable, community-governed data platforms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Data sovereignty is ultimately a practice, not just a legal status. Exercising it requires communities to have the capacity, institutions, tools, and agency to determine how, and whether, their data is used. By building local technical capacity and supporting translational leaders, the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002F\">New Commons Incubator\u003C\u002Fa> aims to help turn formal rights into practical authority over communities’ digital futures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">If this work interests or inspires you, please feel free to contact us at \u003Ca href=\"mailto:newcommons@opendatapolicylab.org\">newcommons@opendatapolicylab.org\u003C\u002Fa> and let us know.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>",{},"navigating-indigenous-data-sovereignty-in-the-age-of-ai","blogposts\u002Fnavigating-indigenous-data-sovereignty-in-the-age-of-ai","A discussion with members of our Indigenous Steering Committee","zdLHbdtme_r9JWNEyLVCle2cJPcJ7daxTg1Sz1bTHiA",{"id":31,"brow":32,"cover_image":33,"date":34,"excerpt":8,"extension":9,"heading":35,"main_content":36,"meta":37,"slug":38,"stem":39,"tagline":40,"__hash__":41},"blogposts\u002Fblogposts\u002Fidentifying-a-global-demand-inside-the-applications-to-our-indigenous-languages-incubator.json","Incubator Update","https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F15cf29ea-8989-4d2e-9b6d-fa1e61960624","2026-08-28","Identifying A Global Demand: Inside the Applications to our Indigenous Languages Incubator","\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cem>by Stefaan Verhulst, Sruthi Raghavan, and Andrew J. Zahuranec\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">When we opened applications for the inaugural \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002F\">New Commons Incubator for Indigenous Languages and Cultures\u003C\u002Fa> on 19 June 2026, we hoped to reach Indigenous-led teams working to develop data commons for their languages and cultures in the age of AI. By the time the call closed on 14 August, the response had exceeded our expectations, both in volume and in geographic reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Here is what the applications told us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">The headline numbers\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">We received 180 form submissions in total. After removing duplicates and incomplete entries, that left approximately 155 unique, form-complete submissions—a strong signal of serious, considered interest from teams around the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ccenter>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F192ddaba-96af-4f8c-9b52-a97b0f02bbdb.png?width=630&height=402\" alt=\"Summary of Application Volume\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fcenter>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">A truly global call\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Concept notes referenced 55 different countries, underscoring just how widely the challenge of Indigenous language stewardship is felt. India led the way with 15 mentions, followed closely by Nigeria with 13. Bangladesh, Canada, and Kenya rounded out the top five.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ccenter>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F173155cd-148c-45a5-a830-44e761e4a0bc.png?width=591&height=398\" alt=\"Screenshot 2026 08 28 113445\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F405ae92e-c13f-4723-86ad-297e32337ad2.png?width=590&height=365\" alt=\"Top 10 Country Mentions\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fcenter>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">Who applied\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The call drew a diverse mix of applicants, but it was clearly anchored by the communities at the heart of this work. Indigenous organisations were the single largest group with 42 applications, followed closely by NGOs and non-profits (39) and universities and research institutes (24). Private companies, start-ups, and independent applicants also featured strongly, alongside a smaller number of government bodies, media organisations, and intergovernmental entities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ccenter>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002Ff5b3a3c4-2365-42d1-94c0-80c415ffbd3b.png?width=625&height=378\" alt=\"Applicant Type\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fcenter>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The applicant pool included established Indigenous institutions as well as grassroots and diaspora-led initiatives. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">What they want to build\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Across the concept notes, language revitalization and preservation was by far the most common theme, appearing in 86 mentions — nearly triple the next most frequent topic. Cultural practices (34), folklore (30), speech and voice recognition technology (29), and education (29) followed. The spread shows applicants think about language not in isolation, but woven together with culture, technology, and knowledge transmission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ccenter>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">\u003Cimg src=\"https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F960124e8-c321-42c9-9a3e-0b95760f72a3.png?width=597&height=513\" alt=\"Commons Topics Mentioned in Concept Notes\">\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fcenter>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">Patterns of Demand \u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">A few patterns emerged in how different regions framed their work:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Sub-Saharan Africa: Applications from across Sub-Saharan Africa often had a strong emphasis on ecological and environmental knowledge tied to language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Latin America: Many proposals emerging from Latin America focused almost exclusively on language itself—touching on topics such as translation or transcription.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">Diaspora-led groups: Several applications came from communities working outside their homelands. For example, we received applications from several groups who come from Russia but are now based in Georgia, the United States, and France.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The Takeaway: \u003C\u002Fstrong>Overwhelming demand, and strong signals of genuine interest in this work. With a limited number of intensive cohort slots, we are actively exploring pathways to connect all applicants to some form of support — not only the teams we can host directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Ch3 dir=\"ltr\">What happens next\u003C\u002Fh3>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Cohort selection is underway. We have let applicants know that final decisions will be communicated by mid-October at the latest, with the program kicking off shortly after. As we work through the next steps, we are also asking our steering committee and community how best to proceed given the scale of interest — so that the enthusiasm reflected in these numbers translates into lasting impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">To everyone who applied: thank you. The breadth and depth of these applications is the clearest sign yet that a community-governed approach to Indigenous language data is not just needed, but wanted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Figures reflect applications received during the open call (19 June – 14 August 2026). Country and topic counts are based on references within submitted concept notes; a single application may reference more than one country or theme. The regional-grouping and thematic-focus charts are illustrative summaries of concept-note content. Applicant-type and topic figures are drawn from the program's own application review. The New Commons Incubator is led by the Open Data Policy Lab at The GovLab.\u003C\u002Fem>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Photo Credit:  \u003C\u002Fem>Nick Kwan\u002FUnsplash, licensed under CC0, photo of Bill Reid's \"The Raven and the First Men\"  (1980)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>",{},"identifying-a-global-demand-inside-the-applications-to-our-indigenous-languages-incubator","blogposts\u002Fidentifying-a-global-demand-inside-the-applications-to-our-indigenous-languages-incubator","A first look at who applied to the New Commons Incubator — and the demand it revealed","qDdTdKov3xXhz8lkiXDBCI9cd_w9J0I_icnNYCfMvNg",{"id":43,"brow":44,"cover_image":45,"date":46,"excerpt":8,"extension":9,"heading":47,"main_content":48,"meta":49,"slug":50,"stem":51,"tagline":8,"__hash__":52},"blogposts\u002Fblogposts\u002Fnew-commons-incubator-webinar-data-commons-to-support-indigenous-languages-and-cultures.json","Event","https:\u002F\u002Fcms.thegovlab.com\u002Fassets\u002F3bc8927c-1c08-4144-9272-bb03b9b9c517","2026-07-17","New Commons Incubator Webinar: Data Commons to Support Indigenous Languages and Cultures","\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">What approaches can we adopt to ensure Indigenous communities control data about their language and culture? How do data commons represent one promising approach to this issue?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">On 6 August at 11:00 AM EST \u002F 5:00 PM CET, in advance of the International Day of World’s Indigenous Peoples, The GovLab, Microsoft, and UNESCO will be hosting a webinar conversation on these topics. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The conversation will serve as both an opportunity to learn about current efforts being pursued by leading experts in the field of Indigenous data and to better understand the \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002F\">New Commons Incubator\u003C\u002Fa>—a capacity-building program that aims to help Indigenous-led teams develop their ideas for data commons projects into fundable proposals. \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">The discussion, facilitated by The GovLab’s Stefaan Verhulst, will include members of the New \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002Findigenous-languages\">Commons Incubator’s Steering Committee\u003C\u002Fa>, a group of Indigenous experts selected to ensure the work of the Incubator is productive and complementary to existing Indigenous-led work. They include:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cul>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Ca href=\"http:\u002F\u002Flinkedin.com\u002Fin\u002Fchantalkamgne\">Chantal Kamgne\u003C\u002Fa>, Managing Director of Localizzz and Head of Research of EngageAfricaNLP\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fsnre.arizona.edu\u002Fperson\u002Fnkwi-flores\">WarīNkwī Flores\u003C\u002Fa>, Founder and Translational Consultant, Kinray Hub\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli dir=\"ltr\" aria-level=\"1\">\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\" role=\"presentation\">\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fprofiles.waikato.ac.nz\u002Fmaui.hudson\">Maui Hudson\u003C\u002Fa>, Director, Te Kotahi Research Institute, Office of Deputy Vice-Chancellor Maori\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cp>It will be preceded by a set of opening remarks from UNESCO’s Director of the Division for Digital Inclusion, Policies and Transformation, Guilherme Canela de Souza Godoi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Don’t miss this exciting conversation and a chance to learn from leaders from around the world about topics such as the CARE Principles, Indigenous data sovereignty, and social licenses. Registration can be found \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fus02web.zoom.us\u002Fwebinar\u002Fregister\u002FWN_QKWWrDuLQrShi4C5uJGIVA#\u002F\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp dir=\"ltr\">Learn more about the New Commons Incubator \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fnewcommons.ai\u002F\">here\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>",{},"new-commons-incubator-webinar-data-commons-to-support-indigenous-languages-and-cultures","blogposts\u002Fnew-commons-incubator-webinar-data-commons-to-support-indigenous-languages-and-cultures","3yk2XsRLMOnWav3lOFsTPd-YULBnuIABtvBnlnrmFsE",1791305328972]