We invite you to join us for a deep dive into the complex intersection of Indigenous data sovereignty, sacred plant knowledge, and emerging technologies. This Community Forum will explore how Indigenous communities are reclaiming control over their Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge (ITECK) while navigating the expanding realms of digital systems, scientific research, and AI. We will explore key questions such as: How can Indigenous data sovereignty protocols protect sacred plant medicines while allowing for beneficial scientific collaboration? In what ways do current technological frameworks reinforce colonial power structures, and how can Indigenous-led approaches to data governance transform these systems? What parallels exist between protecting ITECK and safeguarding digital sovereignty, and how might open source concepts of licensing and attribution be adapted to respect Indigenous protocols? You’ll hear from our speakers, Hailey Maria Salazar (Yoeme), an assistant teaching professor in Indigenous Nations Studies at Portland State University and director of the Regenerative Relations Initiative; Dr. Timothy Anderson, Chair of the Engineering and Technology Management department at Portland State and a member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi; and Sayra Pinto, the founder of For a Loving Future and Board Chair of the Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity.

Hailey Maria Salazar (Yoeme) is an assistant teaching professor in the Indigenous Nations Studies department at Portland State University and director of the Regenerative Relations Initiative, an inaugural cohort of Indigenous communities focused on advancing land stewardship, food sovereignty, and data sovereignty through Indigenous-led regenerative practices. Hailey Maria is grounded in research and education as a process of reclamation, revitalization, and regeneration of Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Her areas of interest include Indigenous Traditional Ecological and Cultural Knowledge, ethnobotany, ethnomusicology, ethnoecology, archives, and data sovereignty.

Dr. Timothy Anderson is the Department Chair of Engineering and Technology Management at Portland State University. He earned an Electrical Engineering degree from the University of Minnesota, as well as both M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Anderson has been the Program Chair or Co-Chair twenty times for PICMET, the Portland International Conference on the Management of Engineering and Technology since 1997. With over 60 refereed publications, current research interests include analytics, benchmarking, technology forecasting, data mining, and new product development. Dr. Anderson is a member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and works to ensure that future engineers and scientists better represent the community. Dr. Anderson has been the PSU American Indian Science and Engineering Society, AISES, Chapter Advisor since 2005 and is a Sequoyah Fellow of the AISES.

Sayra Pinto has devoted a 30-year career to cross-sectoral social transformation, having worked with numerous human service organizations, colleges and universities, public schools, and philanthropic organizations. She founded and is Board Chair of For a Loving Future, and Board Chair of the Center for Cooperative Development and Solidarity.

This talk will be recorded and immediately available for rewatch for all attendees.

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Indigenous Knowledge in the Digital Age