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Alice Springs ARN · Resource Library

ICIP and Data Sovereignty Resource Library

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This is a starting set of references on Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Indigenous protocols for AI, research ethics, cultural and intellectual property, Australian AI governance, practical cyber security, and online safety resources made with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It is gathered so members can read the source material themselves and form their own views.

The library is offered to support informed decision-making, not to prescribe what anyone should do. Where a resource raises questions of cultural protocol, those decisions sit with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership; the right people to take them to are within the ARN and CAAHSN, and with the relevant communities and Elders. The summaries below describe what each source says in plain language; they do not give a view on what is right for any community.

// indigenous data sovereignty frameworks

Indigenous Data Sovereignty frameworks

Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Principles (Maiam nayri Wingara Indigenous Data Sovereignty Collective and the Australian Indigenous Governance Institute, 2018) The foundational Australian statement of Indigenous Data Sovereignty: the right of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to govern the collection, ownership and use of data about their people, lands and cultures.

CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance (Carroll, S. R., et al., 2020; Global Indigenous Data Alliance) A people-and-purpose-centred companion to the FAIR data principles: Collective benefit, Authority to control, Responsibility, and Ethics. Widely used to frame how Indigenous data should be handled in research.

Framework for Governance of Indigenous Data (National Indigenous Australians Agency, 2024) An Australian Government framework setting out how Indigenous data held by government should be governed in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. (Copy held in the project folder.)

Taking Control of Our Data: A Discussion Paper on Indigenous Data Governance (Lowitja Institute, with Maiam nayri Wingara, 2024) A practical discussion paper to help communities and organisations put Indigenous Data Governance into practice, including a structured tool for working through the process. Shaped by the 2nd National Indigenous Data Sovereignty Summit (2023).

Indigenous Data resource hub (Australian Research Data Commons) A plain-language gateway to Indigenous Data Sovereignty and governance resources, aimed at researchers and data managers.

AIATSIS Digital Strategy 2021-2030 (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2021) AIATSIS's long-term strategy for digitising, caring for and providing access to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander collections and data, guided by Indigenous control and cultural protocols.

// indigenous protocols for ai

Indigenous protocols for AI

Out of the Black Box: Indigenous Protocols for AI (Abdilla, A., Kelleher, M., Shaw, R., and Yunkaporta, T., 2021; Australian Network for Art and Technology / Deakin University) Introduces Country-Centred Design and the ideas of "Blackfella-in-the-Loop" and the "Blackfella Box": designing AI so that Indigenous knowledge and relationships shape how the system works, not just what it produces.

Indigenous Protocol and Artificial Intelligence Position Paper (Indigenous AI Working Group, 2020) An international collection of essays and guidelines on building AI from Indigenous knowledge systems and worldviews; a key reference behind much of the Australian work.

Envisioning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander AI Futures Communique: March 2025 (Barrowcliffe, R., Hutchinson, B., and contributors; Journal of Global Indigeneity) The communique from a 2025 gathering of more than forty Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers and community members at Macquarie University, setting out a shared vision for AI futures led by Indigenous people.

A New Age Indigenous Instrument: Artificial Intelligence and Its Potential for (De)Colonialized Data (Tapu, I. F., and Fa'agau, T. K., 2022; Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Review) Argues that whether AI becomes a tool for Indigenous self-determination or "a new coloniser" depends on whose narratives and data shape it. (Listed in the brief as "Tapu: A New Age Indigenous Instrument".)

Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare in Australian Indigenous Communities: a scoping project (Goodman, A., Shinners, L., Mahoney, R., et al.; CSIRO, with VACCHO, ATSICHS Brisbane, CEADH and Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet) A scoping study of where and how AI is relevant to health care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, written from a community-controlled health perspective. (Source notes held in the project folder.)

// research ethics

Research ethics

AIATSIS Code of Ethics for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies, 2020) The national code setting out the responsibilities of researchers working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, built around Indigenous self-determination, consent and benefit.

Ethical guidelines for research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and National Statement Chapter 4.7 (National Health and Medical Research Council) NHMRC's guidance on ethical conduct in research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities; Chapter 4.7 of the National Statement identifies the core values an ethics application must address.

Guide for Assessing Research Involving AI, Machine Learning and Large Language Model Technology (National Health and Medical Research Council, 2025) Practical guidance for researchers and ethics committees on how to assess research that uses AI tools. (Source notes held in the project folder.)

Policy on Use of Generative AI in Grant Applications and Peer Review (National Health and Medical Research Council) NHMRC's position on where generative AI may and may not be used in grant applications and peer review.

// icip, copyright and fake indigenous art

ICIP, copyright and fake Indigenous art

True Tracks: Respecting Indigenous Knowledge and Culture (Janke, T., 2021) and the True Tracks principles Dr Terri Janke's book and her ten True Tracks principles for working with Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), including free prior informed consent, attribution, integrity and benefit sharing.

The New Frontier: Artificial Intelligence, Copyright and Indigenous Culture (Terri Janke and Company) A plain-language piece on how AI raises new ICIP and copyright questions for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and knowledge.

AI is producing 'fake' Indigenous art trained on real artists' work (Wilson, C., 2024; Crikey) Reporting on AI-generated imitation Aboriginal art being sold on stock-image and marketplace sites without consent, and the harm to real artists. (Note: Crikey may sit behind a paywall; an open-access companion piece is listed below.)

How AI images are 'flattening' Indigenous cultures, creating a new form of tech colonialism (The Conversation, 2025) An open-access analysis of how generative image tools misrepresent and homogenise Indigenous cultures.

The problem with AI generated images (Arts Law Centre of Australia) A practical legal explainer on AI image generation, copyright and the risks for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (United Nations, 2007) The international statement of minimum standards for the rights, dignity and self-determination of Indigenous peoples, including rights over culture and knowledge.

// ai ethics and governance (australian)

AI ethics and governance (Australian)

Update: national AI legislation announced, 15 July 2026

On 15 July 2026 the Prime Minister announced "Australian Standards for AI": a single, mandatory national framework, with an Office of AI established in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and legislation intended for Parliament in early 2027. The announcement includes commitments on Australian artists' ownership and control of their work in AI training, and binding rules for large data centres. As at July 2026 none of this is law yet; Australia still has no dedicated AI Act. We have prepared a plain-language explainer covering what was announced, what it might become, and how a press release turns into a law: Australia's AI Laws: What's Coming.

Australia's AI Ethics Principles (Department of Industry, Science and Resources) Australia's eight voluntary principles for safe and responsible AI: wellbeing; human-centred values; fairness; privacy protection and security; reliability and safety; transparency and explainability; contestability; and accountability. (Copy held in the project folder.)

National Framework for the Assurance of Artificial Intelligence in Government (Department of Finance, 2024) The nationally agreed framework for how Australian governments assure their use of AI, mapping practical assurance steps to the eight AI Ethics Principles.

Australian Public Service AI Plan 2025 (Digital Transformation Agency, 2025) The Australian Government's plan for how the public service will adopt and use AI safely and responsibly, including the foundations agencies are expected to put in place. (Copy held in the project folder.)

AI policy update: strengthening responsible use across government (Digital Transformation Agency) A plain-language update on changes to Australian Government AI policy and the steps agencies must take to use AI responsibly.

Privacy and AI guidance (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner) OAIC's guidance on how the Privacy Act applies when organisations use AI products and develop or train AI models.

Artificial Intelligence Assurance Framework (Northern Territory Government) The NT Government's framework for assessing and assuring AI use, relevant to researchers working with or within NT agencies.

// practical cyber security (cyber.gov.au / acsc)

Practical cyber security (cyber.gov.au / ACSC)

Personal cyber security guides (Australian Cyber Security Centre) Three step-by-step guides (First Steps, Next Steps, Advanced Steps) with checklists, written for everyday Australians; includes resources for non-English-speaking backgrounds, children and seniors.

Cyber Health Check Tool (Australian Cyber Security Centre) A free, anonymous five-minute self-assessment that produces a tailored action plan; suitable for individuals, small organisations and not-for-profits. (Copy held in the project folder.)

Report and recover (ReportCyber) (Australian Cyber Security Centre) Where to report cybercrime, scams and compromised accounts, and how to start recovering.

Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre, ACCC) Current scam alerts and step-by-step advice on spotting, avoiding and reporting scams.

eSafety Commissioner and Be Connected (Australian Government) Online-safety help for all ages; Be Connected offers free, plain-language digital-skills learning aimed at older Australians and beginners.

IDCARE (national identity and cyber support service) A free service that helps people respond to identity theft and data breaches with a personal response plan.

// online safety for aboriginal and torres strait islander communities

Online safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

These are made by or with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and several are aimed specifically at remote communities. Government reports have found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are several times more likely to be targeted by scams, so culturally relevant resources matter.

eSafety Commissioner, First Nations (Australian Government) The eSafety Commissioner's hub of online-safety resources made with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including short videos in language (Aboriginal English, NT Kriol, Torres Strait Islander Creole and Warlpiri), the free "Your Online Journey" app for getting online safely, and kids' and carers' guides.

Scamwatch, Resources for First Nations peoples (National Anti-Scam Centre, ACCC) Plain-language scam resources for community, including the Little Book of Scams, posters and the "Goodways" podcast, plus a dedicated First Nations Infoline on 1300 303 143 for reporting scams and getting help.