2015 Pre-ATALM Developing Tools to Navigate Intellectual Property and Protect Cultural Heritage Workshop
Led by Jane Anderson, Assistant Professor at New York University; James Francis, Director/Tribal Historian, Cultural and Historic Preservation, Penobscot Nation; and Lisa Morehead-Hillman, Food Security Project Coordinator of the Karuk Tribe's department of Natural Resources. This workshop focused on three topics that affect capacity to respond to issues of intellectual property (IP) and knowledge sovereignty within tribal contexts. The first topic, "Governance and IP Negotiations within Tribal Contexts" engaged participants in thinking about how IP issues should be managed within their own tribal context. This included identifying who should be the decision-making body or bodies for any negotiations with external parties. The second topic, "Developing Protocols, Agreements and Transfer of Copyright" gave practical advice about the kinds of documents that need to be developed to manage IP within tribal contexts. Participants were offered a model that can be used and adapted within their own context. The final topic "Traditional Knowledge Labels" outlined one practical way for asserting control over access and routes of circulation of valuable cultural heritage, including material currently existing within the public domain. This workshop was one of the three 2015 Pre-ATALM workshops sponsored by the Sustainable Heritage Network, and was held in Washington DC on September 10, 2015.
