An Ontario First Nation is using its own data centre to preserve Indigenous language and culture while strengthening control over community information.
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory, located on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, installed the facility last year as part of a broader modernization effort, the Associated Press reported.
The centre stores recordings of Anishinaabe language speakers, along with corporate documents, residents’ health data and security footage.
“Our language is one of the biggest things that most First Nations across the country are losing,” said Chief Tim Ominika.
“The purpose of all of this is having the ownership, access, control and possession of our information,” he said.
The community began improving its data storage after a 2022 flood destroyed some digital records. It is now transferring information from a Microsoft data centre in Toronto to its own facility.
The project also supports public safety initiatives, including 700 surveillance cameras and drones used to locate missing people, monitor criminal activity and detect forest fires.
Ominika acknowledged “a little bit of resistance” from residents concerned about drone surveillance and privacy.
Other Indigenous communities in Ontario and Manitoba have visited Wiikwemkoong to learn about the project.
Carmen Jones, director of research and data management for the Chiefs of Ontario, emphasized the importance of Indigenous control over information.
“As more information is collected and stored, it is critical that First Nations determine how that data is accessed, managed, and used,” she said.
