Aaron Franks
Research Lead, Data Sovereignty Research Collaborative at First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC)
§ 01 · Cycle 01 · Indigenous Languages & Cultures · 2026–2027
New Commons Incubator for
Indigenous languages &
cultures.
A six-month capacity-building program that supports Indigenous-led teams in developing a fundable data commons proposal
§ 02 — Orientation · Why it matters
Why now?
Indigenous languages face many pressures in the age of AI:
- When left out, existing digital marginalization and inequities deepen.
- When included, data is often extracted without consent or benefit.
- And even well-intentioned efforts frequently strip away the cultural context that gives these languages meaning.
This represents both a technical and governance breakdown. What's needed is a new institutional approach.
What is the program?
The Incubator is a 6-month capacity-building program that supports Indigenous-led teams in developing data commons, which are community governed data ecosystems that enable responsible, equitable use for public-interest purposes.
Through mentorship, training, and peer learning, the Incubator helps participants move from early-stage data commons ideas to clear, actionable, and fundable proposals.
Learn more about the Incubator programming by reading our Incubator FAQ.
What is a data commons?
Data commons are collaboratively governed data ecosystems designed to pool and provide responsible (and governed) access to diverse, high-quality datasets from one or multiple sectors to enable the development and deployment of generative AI applications that address public-interest challenges.
Learn more about our conception of data commons by reading our Data Commons FAQ.
§ 03 — The call
Apply now.
Applications are now open for the New Commons Incubator on Indigenous Languages and Cultures. Submit your application by 14 August 2026 to participate in a structured program designed to support the development of viable and fundable data commons proposals.
What the program delivers
Programmatic offerings.
01 / 04
Design governance models
Design data commons governance models grounded by Indigenous data sovereignty and the CARE Principles.
02 / 04
Establish shared benefits
Work with affected Indigenous groups to ensure there is the necessary social license to operate.
03 / 04
Global expertise and support
Access support and insights from practitioners around the world.
04 / 04
Community and funding pathways
Socialize your data commons concept with a cohort of Indigenous data leaders and relevant funders.
§ 04 — Guidance
Steering Committee
This initiative is supported by a Steering Committee of Indigenous experts and representatives to ensure this work is productive and complementary to existing Indigenous-led efforts. The Committee offers input on all major decisions and the partner organizations aim to ensure their guidance is reflected in all activities.
Chantal Kamgne
Head of Research, EngageAfricaNLP and Managing Director, Localizzz
Charu Bikash Tripura
Coordinator, Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact
Chinomso Mishael Chukwuma
AI Engineer | Scientific Computing Graduate Student | Founder, MizSpace Technology
Constanza Gomez Mont
Climate Fellow, Yale Jackson School of Public Affairs; Co-Founder and Director of NaturaTech LAC; Founding Member, Steering Committee of Women for Ethical AI for UNESCO; Founder and Principal of C Minds; Founder and Principal of AI for Climate
Damian Blasi
ICREA Research Professor, Center for Brain & Cognition at the Pompeu Fabra University
Eduardo Gomez Restrepo
Head of Operations, CMinds
Dr. Jane Anderson
Associate Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies and a Global Fellow in the Engelberg Center for Innovation Law and Policy in the Law School at New York University
Dr. Jeannet Stephen
Indigenous Representative (Global Task Force for Making a Decade of Action for Indigenous Languages), PACOS Trust / Associate Professor, BorIIS UMS
Jenny Fewster
Director of the Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences (HASS) and Indigenous Research Data Commons, Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC)
Linn Harkess
Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Lead, Fundación Pronorte.
Mark Gachara
Linguistic Diversity Expert - UNDP
Maui Hudson
Professor and Director Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato
Michael Running Wolf
Co-Founder and Lead Architect First Languages AI Reality at Mila/IndigiGenius
Robert McLellan
Senior Program Manager, LDaCA, Industry Fellow in Indigenous Languages, School of Languages and Cultures, The University of Queensland
Serafín M. Coronel-Molina
Professor at Indiana University Bloomington
Sjur Nørstebø Moshagen
Chief Engineer, UiT Norges Arktiske Universitet
Stephanie Russo Carroll
Director, Collaboratory for Indigenous Data Governance; Associate Professor, Public Health and American Indian Studies Graduate Program; Affiliate Faculty, College of Law; Associate Research Professor, Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and its Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona
Dr. Tsosheletso Chidi
Lecturer of the Department of African Languages, University of Pretoria
WarīNkwī Flores
Founder and Translational Consultant, Kinray Hub
§ 05 — The schedule
Timeline at a glance.
- We are here19 Jun 2026Applications openNow
- 14 Aug 2026Applications close23:59 ET
- Aug 2026Cohort selectionLate August
- Sep 2026KickoffMid-September
- Oct 2026 → Apr 2027Virtual incubation programming2026 → 2027
- Apr 2027Final showcasePresent to funders or partners
Partners.
§ 07 — How to apply
Apply now.
Submit responses to the questions in our application form by 14 August 2026.