The Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory on Manitoulin Island in Ontario has installed its own small data centre to keep control of its records, including video of elders speaking Anishinaabemowin, The Globe and Mail reports.
Chief Tim Ominika said language loss was one of the biggest threats facing First Nations, and that the system would preserve speakers' legacy. He said the aim was ownership, access, control and possession of the community's information.
The data centre, about the size of a single garage and installed last year, also holds corporate documents, residents' health data and security camera footage. The community is moving its data from a Microsoft facility in Toronto. Work gained urgency after a 2022 flood destroyed some digital records. A backup site on the mainland and public Wi-Fi are planned for the community of about 4,000 people; the chief would not disclose the cost.
Source: The Globe and Mail
