Engie Matene
Engie is an Indigenous Technologist and founding member of Mātou Collective, working at the intersection of Indigenous data sovereignty, digital identity, and emerging technologies. Her work is grounded in kaupapa Māori design and collective ownership, supporting Indigenous-led approaches to technology.
In collaboration with Tauhokohoko - https://www.tauhokohoko.nz/ - Matou has developed an Indigenous Digital Identity Protocol and is advancing community-led digital sovereignty and trade initiatives through the development of the Indigenous Digital Sovereignty Stack, enabling Māori and Indigenous communities to govern, and sustain their own digital infrastructure.
Session
How can we center agricultural data sovereignty in the rapid development of open ag tech? Kicking off the morning of Camp Day 4, this panel brings together international perspectives to explore the critical need to build digital, social, and legal infrastructure that allows communities and land stewards to maintain control over their own information. Moderated by Steve Francis, the session opens with an introductory framing on data stewardship and navigating the tensions between open access and data enclosure. Panelists will then share concrete case studies highlighting community-led approaches to data ownership, ranging from Indigenous-led technology design in Aotearoa (New Zealand) to evaluating true cost accounting and participatory science. The final portion of the session will be dedicated to a collaborative discussion on building data commons that protect knowledge rather than exploit it.