The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) Indigenous Alliance was founded by Indigenous representatives at the GEO Canberra Ministerial Summit 2019 in Canberra, Australia. The vision of the GEO Indigenous Alliance is to protect and conserve Indigenous Cultural Heritage by using Earth Observation science, data and technology to create a knowledge base that sustains the Earth we live on.

In December 2020, the GEO Indigenous Alliance hosted the inaugural GEO Indigenous Summit 2020 event, which brought together Indigenous Peoples from around the world to share Indigenous-led innovations in Earth observation data, science, and technology, and discuss issues of Indigenous data sovereignty and data management in support of Indigenous communities. The event built on the (GEO) Indigenous Hackathons that brought Indigenous knowledge holders together with the GEO community to co-develop culturally relevant EO based tools for and by Indigenous communities that honour and acknowledge the human dynamics and cultural complexity of their communities. The GEO Indigenous Summit report can be accessed here.

 

To enable Indigenous Peoples toward equitable participation in and benefits from data creation, application, and stewardship within contemporary data environments, the  GEO Indigenous Alliance advocates for the implementation of  CARE with FAIR principles. The GEO Indigenous Alliance sees Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC),  as an important standard that Indigenous People can use to claim their rights to self-determination, consultation and participation in decisions that are central to climate action. The GEO Indigenous Alliance will focus on the implementation of the FPIC Declaration at local and national levels, as well as at the UN Human Rights Council and in a number of other international fora.

Founding Members

• Titus Letaapo, Founding Member, member of the Samburu tribe, Kenya
• Kriton Glenn, Principal Advisor
• James Rattling Leaf Sr., Founding Member, Sicangu Lakota, Oceti Sakowin Oyate
• Diana Mastracci, Founding Member & International Strategic Liaison 
• Mario Vargas Shakaim, Founding Member member of the Shuar Nation, Ecuadorian Amazon

Network

The GEO Indigenous Alliance is advancing an international Indigenous GEO network with dedicated Indigenous Working Groups focused on Indigenous youth, Disaster Risk Reduction, Climate Action, Indigenous Data Sovereignty and Women Empowerment, for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, practitioners and policy makers to share best practices and experiences.

Follow up articles:

• “April Speaker Series Event: Overview of GEO Indigenous Alliance for Guardians and Stewardship Programs.” March 12, 2021
• “Climate Justice and Indigenous Rights.” February 25, 2021
• “Interview: The winners of the GEO Indigenous Hack4Covid launch the Visibilidade Quilombola app.” February 10, 2021
• “Meet the winning teams from the GEO Indigenous Hack4Covid Event”, June 19, 2020
• “GEO Indigenous Alliance Founder Addresses Earth Data Providers”, June 5th, 2020
• “GEO Indigenous COVID-19 Hackathon 2020”, May 25, 2020
• “Teams from Africa Win at GEO Indigenous Hack4Covid Event”, June 22, 2020
• “Engineering students link GIS technology with Indigenous knowledge”, January 28,2020

Further contact:

For more information, please contact Diana Mastracci Sanchez, International Strategic Indigenous Liaison for the GEO Indigenous Alliance: diana.mastracci.sanchez@gmail.com