Local Contexts: Traditional Knowledge and Indigenous Cultural Heritage

This presentation introduces Local Contexts, an educational website that includes an introduction to a set of innovative traditional knowledge (TK) license and labels being developed in a response to Indigenous communities' needs. Local Contexts aims to provide a concrete option for Indigenous and local communities to manage their intellectual property rights and interests in documentation, digitization, sharing, and exploitation of their digital cultural heritage according to their own desires and aspirations. The license and label options are intended to cater to the unique needs of Indigenous, local and traditional communities in terms of access and control, based on customary rules, protocols, guidelines and models for appropriate use of cultural heritage materials. Local Contexts is being developed in partnership with WIPO and IPinCH, Murkurtu, the Center for Digital Archaeology and Dr. Jane Anderson. Kimberly Christen Withey is an Associate Professor of English, Associate Director of the Digital Technology and Culture Program, and Director of Digital Projects at the Plateau Center, Native American Projects Office, at Washington State University. She is an IPinCH Associate.