Algorithmic Erasure and Digital Sovereignty: Rethinking Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the Age of AI

In the digital age Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) encounter both transformative prospects and significant challenges for their preservation and care. The study investigates how Indigenous knowledge intersects with digital technologies while analysing how cultural misrepresentation and linguistic marginalisation occur alongside intellectual property debates and data sovereignty politics. The shift from oral, community-rooted traditions to digital platforms risks reducing knowledge to
fragmented, decontextualised commodities for global consumption. Drawing on case studies such as the appropriation of Cowichan sweater designs by the Hudson's Bay Company and the culturally respectful design of the 'Four Directions Teachings' project, the paper demonstrates how digital tools simultaneously function as means of cultural revitalisation and instruments of exploitation. The study reveals fundamental issues like algorithmic bias along with the loss of oral contextuality and ongoing debates about intellectual property rights and community consent.

The paper examines digital colonialism through its investigation of how Indigenous data is gathered and used without permission, which undermines Indigenous autonomy. The paper advocates for digital governance led by Indigenous communities together with ethical AI frameworks, proposing that digital technologies cannot just serve as repositories for Indigenous heritage but must incorporate Indigenous principles, protocols, and knowledge systems to achieve true preservation.