Native Land Digital API: Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty & Agreement - Important Update.
Kia ora koutou!
Ko Tanya Ruka ahau, ko Pūhanga Tohorā te maunga, ko Taheke te awa, ko Ngāpuhi te iwi, Aotearoa. (My name is Tanya Ruka, Pūhanga Tohorā is my mountain, Taheke is my river, Ngāpuhi is my tribe, New Zealand).
For those who don’t know me, I am the Executive Director for Native Land Digital. We have been working on some exciting changes for the Native Land Digital platform, and in the coming months, you’ll start to see these transitions take place!
One of the first changes you’ll notice is a shift in our language. Our main objective is to amplify and empower Indigenous voices. Over the past 18 months, we’ve reflected deeply on our roles—both as individuals and as a collective. Through this process, we are co-creating a global Indigenous digital ecosystem to highlight the powerful work Indigenous peoples are achieving on the land and in the waters. For us, as an Indigenous team, our connection to land and water is not just symbolic; it is a vital life source.
As an open-source information-based system with free and open access, the first logical step is a new, essential piece of our work that resonates deeply with our values and commitment to Indigenous communities: our Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty for our API. This treaty isn’t just a set of guidelines; it’s a statement of Indigenous authority and guardianship over our data, an expression of our sovereignty, and our information.
Why This Treaty Matters
Our Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty is a proactive step that brings accountability to the digital space. It centers around principles from several trusted sources:
Te Mana Raraunga — the Māori Data Sovereignty Network, whose values reflect the importance of tikanga (cultural protocols) and whanaungatanga (relationships).
Indigenous Data Lab — a platform that emphasizes Indigenous rights to control, access, and make decisions about data that impact our lives.
OCAP® Principles from the First Nations Information Governance Centre — OCAP stands for Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession, a framework used by First Nations communities in Canada to protect their data sovereignty.
Drawing on these sources, our treaty upholds ownership, control, access, and permission as central pillars. Each time someone uses our API, we ask them to remember these principles and respect the cultural value embedded in this data.
What This Means for Our API Users
Whether you're a researcher, student, developer, or someone who wants to explore Indigenous territories online, you play a role in this treaty. By signing up to use our API, you’re agreeing to honor these principles in your work and the ways you share what you learn.
Our treaty is about building a respectful relationship with our data. It’s about understanding that data isn’t just numbers or dots on a map; it’s a living connection to Indigenous lands and histories. We ask that you, as a user, consider this in your work—honoring the knowledge shared with you and contributing to a more respectful digital future for all Indigenous communities.
Native Land Digital API Terms of Use
Last Updated: [14/02/2025]
1. Introduction
Native Land Digital (NLD) provides an open-access API to facilitate the responsible and ethical use of Indigenous mapping data. As part of NLD’s commitment to Indigenous Data Sovereignty, this API must be used in alignment with the principles outlined in the Native Land Digital: Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty.
All users requesting access to the NLD API must agree to the following terms, ensuring that Indigenous data remains under Indigenous governance and cannot be commercialized or misappropriated.
By accessing or using the NLD API, you agree to these legally binding terms. Violation of these terms may result in the revocation of API access.
2. Permitted Uses
The NLD API may be used only for the following purposes:
Educational and research purposes that align with the principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
Non-commercial applications that respect Indigenous governance and do not generate revenue.
Indigenous-led initiatives that directly support the self-determination and data governance of Indigenous communities.
3. Prohibited Uses
Users must not:
Charge money for access to or integration of NLD API data in any form, including as part of a subscription, membership, or bundled service.
Modify or alter Indigenous land boundaries without direct consultation and approval from the Indigenous communities involved.
Use the API for commercial purposes, including monetized platforms, data resale, or proprietary applications.
Use the API in a way that undermines Indigenous governance or misrepresents Indigenous territories.
Use the API to create derivative works that do not acknowledge Indigenous ownership and governance of data.
Store or distribute API data without explicit permission from Native Land Digital.
4. Indigenous Governance & Data Integrity
The final authority on boundary changes and Indigenous land data rests with Indigenous communities and Native Land Digital. API users must not facilitate, alter, or override Indigenous data governance processes.
Any use of the API must uphold the principles of OCAP® (Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession) as outlined in the Native Land Digital: Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty.
5. Data Attribution & Acknowledgment
All uses of the NLD API must attribute Native Land Digital as the original source of the data. Any publication, application, or research incorporating API data must acknowledge Indigenous communities as the rightful stewards of their data.
6. Enforcement & Termination
NLD reserves the right to immediately revoke API access if a user violates these terms.
Users found monetizing, altering, or misusing Indigenous data may be permanently barred from API access.
7. Agreement & Compliance
By signing below, you acknowledge that:
You have read and understood the Native Land Digital: Indigenous Data Sovereignty Treaty.
You will not monetize NLD API data or use it for commercial purposes.
You recognize Indigenous governance over all data accessed through the API.
You understand that violating these terms may result in legal action and termination of API access.
We appreciate your support in upholding Indigenous Data Sovereignty and ensuring that this platform remains a tool for Indigenous communities to share, protect, and govern their knowledge. Let’s continue working together to create a digital future where Indigenous rights and governance are respected and upheld!
Technical
Hello from the Native Land Digital tech team. I’m Victor Temprano, the founder of Native Land, and I’m the resident tech guy.
You can learn all about how the API works and how to use it in your applications at our API docs (
https://api-docs.native-land.ca/
), but here I just want to review the change we’re making that’s relevant to anyone already using our API.
Our API has been and remains open access and free, but we want to take more responsibility with how we distribute data and to make sure that we have good metrics on where our data is being used. This is important for all the reasons Tanya’s discussed above.
The technical side of this basically just means that we’ll require that you include an API key in your requests, starting November 20, 2024. You can get an API key by signing up at Native-Land.ca (https://native-land.ca/auth/signup), and then navigating to the API section and agreeing to the Data Sovereignty Treaty. Once you’ve done that, an API key will appear. Append this to all your API requests as a query string, as in the following example:
https://native-land.ca/api/index.php?maps=languages&position=42.553080,-86.473389
Will become:
https://native-land.ca/api/index.php?maps=languages&position=42.553080,-86.473389&key=your_api_key
That’s it! Make sure you include it in any POST requests, too, as a new data field.
For more information on this, see the API documentation (https://api-docs.native-land.ca/get-and-use-your-api-key) or get in touch with the tech team directly at tech@native-land.ca.
API Transition Due Date:
This will come into effect on 1st May 2025
API access will be temporarily switched off and anyone wishing to use the API will need to login, read and agree to the commit to help us move towards Indigenous Data Sovereignty.
Join Us on This Journey
We’re thrilled to be sharing this treaty with you, and we welcome you on this journey with us. As you interact with our API, let’s keep in mind that we’re connecting with something alive, something sacred. The data here represents lands, histories, and futures we all have a responsibility to respect.
So, whether you’re developing the next great app, diving into historical research, or just exploring, please remember: this data belongs to communities with stories and rights. NLD is working to navigate a pathway that shares and celebrates the depth of Indigenous knowledge, while protecting the sacred, and we invite you to protect it with us.
If you want to learn more about our sources and the guiding principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty, check out the links below:
Te Mana Raraunga – Māori Data Sovereignty Network
OCAP® Principles – First Nations Information Governance Centre
Together, let’s make this digital space a place of respect and recognition for Indigenous lands and stories. We look forward to seeing the mindful, empowering ways our community engages with our data.
Ngā mihi,
The Native Land Digital Team