Abigail Echo-Hawk on the art and science of ‘decolonizing data’

In this article, Abigail Echo-Hawk, the Chief Research Officer of the Seattle Indian Health Board, talks about what it means to decolonize data in her context of providing health services for indigenous communities. This discussion goes into how data is communicated through a deficit-based framework, how to add a cultural lens in thinking about data, and how data can be used to elevate the stories of those it is supposed to serve.

Cw: Sexual assault. violence The mid to latter half of this article contains content about the author’s experience that might be triggering for some people.