Understanding the First Nations Principles of OCAP®
Understanding and respecting First Nations principles like OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) is essential for anyone working with Indigenous communities on data-related projects. These principles establish how data is collected, protected, and used, ensuring Indigenous sovereignty over their information.
OCAP® asserts that First Nations alone have control over data collection processes and how information is stored, interpreted, and shared.
Ownership means that cultural knowledge and data belong to the community collectively, not just individuals.
Control ensures that First Nations have the right to manage all aspects of research and information processes that impact them.
Access guarantees that communities have access to their data.
Possession refers to the physical control of that data.
By understanding and implementing OCAP®, we honor Indigenous sovereignty and contribute to respectful collaborations that acknowledge First Nations' history and control of their land, information, and future.
Learn more about OCAP® at The First Nations Information Governance Centre website at www.fnigc.ca they offer a course called The Fundamentals of OCAP® for anyone who is interested to dig deeper into these crucial principles.
Anne-Marie E. Fischer, BA (Hons), M.Ed., blends her passion for the written word with her vocation to create a better world through effective communications, education, and Community Based Research (CBR).
Words for Impact is the culmination of Anne-Marie’s passions, talents, training, experience, and education. This unique company offers grant and proposal writing, research studies, research reports, impact reports, content development, brand development, communications consulting, biography/autobiography (ghost)writing, education and training materials, curriculum development, podcast script writing, journalistic articles, press releases, developmental editing, in-line editing, and fact-checking.
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