Notes from Hip Hop MC-turned Indigenous Librarian Alex Soto on Archiving and Accessing Indigenous Cultural Knowledge

Turning what Alex Soto refers to as sometimes “lofty, grand” theoretical Indigenous Data Sovereignty principles and protocols into practice can be mundane, even tedious. It could require combing through hundreds of years-worth of paper documents, photos, oral histories of sensitive cultural knowledge in various formats, and other materials. It requires dedicated investments in time and money, and it requires on-the-ground communication and connection with tribal communities. In this talk recorded in April 2024 at the Labriola National American Indian Data Center, an Indigenous library on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus near Phoenix, where Soto serves as its first native director, he discussed what this day-to-day reality entails, where the gaps between policy and practice emerge, and what it might take to bring them closer together. This episode of Privacy on the Ground is part of a series from World Privacy Forum exploring Indigenous Data topics through talks with Indigenous leaders who are guiding pathways toward implementing sometimes-theoretical Indigenous data principles in real life practice. Don’t miss the treat at the end of this episode, when Soto, a hip hop MC with a longtime interest in socially-conscious music, spits a rhyme.