Who Should Attend?
IndigiData is a one-week Indigenous data science education workshop each summer to introduce data science and informatics skills to tribal undergraduate and graduate students. We strive to educate Indigenous Scholars who are Undergraduates, Graduates, and Post-Docs who are striving to advance their education further.
We offer an Indigenous-centered curriculum led by Indigenous data scientists. Our workshop activities center on Indigenous data sovereignty and data ethics while also providing students valuable insight into the emerging data and technology career fields.
Flights, accommodation, and all meals are provided for workshop participants.
Workshop Topics
2025 (AZ) – Indigenous Health and Artificial Intelligence
On the lands of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, south of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
2024 (AZ) – Our Data Relations: Kinship, Stewardship, Sovereignty in Biocollections
On the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community to discuss Indigenous biological-data repositories and moving towards re-envisioning Indigenous data futures.
2023 (WA) – Metabarcoding and qPCR
Lummi Nation in Bellingham, Washington, between Seattle and Vancouver
2023 (MN) – Gene Editing and Modification
Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Nation of Prior Lake, Minnesota, just south of Minneapolis-St. Paul
2022 (SD) – Data of the Dakotas
Mobridge, South Dakota, adjacent to the Standing Rock Reservation. “Data of the Dakotas” specifically addressed the types of data that can be taken from tribal lands
2021 (Virtual) – Environmental Microbiomes
Virtually held workshop, due to COVID-19. Guided demonstration of how to use computational skills to analyze sequencing data from soil microbiota
Curriculum
IndigiData is a one-week summer workshop that will introduce participants to fundamental concepts and methods in data science and informatics. While the first 2021 year was conducted virtually for COVID-19 safety, future workshops will be held on US Indigenous tribal lands.
A strong emphasis will be placed on data ethics, contextualizing the importance and future of informatics skills for Indigenous peoples within the framework of health, culture, environment, and data.
The curriculum will require some participant reading and preparation prior to the workshop, and will focus on materials that stimulate participant interest to encourage subsequent learning in genomics and science. The “hands-on” training component will incorporate the latest techniques and analytical programs used in genomic laboratories today.