UTS Business School and the Centre for Indigenous People and Work, NAIDOC Oration: Indigenous Data Sovereignty

UTS Business School and the Centre for Indigenous People and Work invite you to our annual NAIDOC Oration:

Indigenous Data Sovereignty: All In for the stewardship of cultural knowledge, featuring Professor Kirsten Thorpe

Join us for a powerful and timely conversation examining the right of Indigenous peoples to control data relating to their communities, lands, and cultures, and the responsibilities organisations hold when stewarding this information. This event will explore how institutions can move beyond colonial frameworks and adopt culturally appropriate, community‑led approaches to the ownership, management, and ongoing care of Indigenous knowledges.

We are honoured to welcome our Orator, Professor Kirsten Thorpe, a proud Worimi woman and Professor at the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research at the University of Technology Sydney. Kirsten leads the Indigenous Archives and Data Stewardship Hub, where she advocates for Indigenous rights in archives and data, and drives research that reimagines how libraries and archives can uphold culturally grounded stewardship. Kirsten’s work continues to shape national and international conversations on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the future of ethical knowledge care. She recently launched her book Living Indigenous Archives, and her leadership in the archival profession has been recognised with multiple honours, including The President’s Award from the Australian Society of Archivists (2019) and the ASA Mander Jones Award (2001, 2020, 2025).

Following the Oration will be a fireside yarn to unpack how organisations and collecting institutions can support Indigenous communities to respond to, correct, and reclaim records, ensuring that knowledge is cared for in ways that honour cultural protocols and community authority, featuring: 

-        Professor Nareen Young (she/her), Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership & Engagement) UTS Business School, Professor Indigenous Policy, Jumbunna Institute and Director CIPW,

-        Joshua Gilbert (he/him), Assistant Director, CIPW,

-        Professor Kirsten Thorpe (she/her), Indigenous Archives and Data Stewardship Hub, Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research, UTS

This event is for leaders wanting to know more about Indigenous knowledge stewardship, archival practice, and cultural governance and how organisations can honour Indigenous data rights. Participants will explore how these insights can shape policy, practice, and the future of culturally grounded information management.

Please notify us of your accessibility and/or dietary requirements by Tuesday 30th June.