Northern Voices Beneath the Data

Northern Voices Beneath the Data is an Indigenous-led initiative co-led by ISAGE and Public Health Sudbury & Districts (PHSD) to develop a regional Indigenous Data Sovereignty Strategy for public health. Together, we are working with First Nations and Indigenous communities, organizations, service providers, and partners across the region to better understand what respectful Indigenous Data Governance should look like in practice. This includes how Indigenous-related public health data are collected, interpreted, stored, used, shared, protected, and returned, and who has the authority to make decisions about them.

Public health information can shape how community needs are understood, how services are planned, how resources are directed, and how wellness priorities are recognized. For Indigenous Peoples, families, communities, and organizations, it is important that information is handled in ways that respect Indigenous rights, local priorities, lived realities, relationships, and governance expectations.

Through community gatherings, conversations, and other engagement opportunities, Northern Voices creates space for Indigenous communities and partners to share their experiences, priorities, and expectations. This work is about more than improving public health practices. It is about working together to develop approaches that recognize Indigenous authority over data, strengthen relationships, and ensure that information connected to Indigenous Peoples is governed and used in ways that bring meaningful benefits to communities.