Kristin Kozar grew up in Canoe Pass and has familial ties with Musqueam Indian Band, Penelakut Tribe, Tsawwassen First Nation and Lummi Nation, served as Executive Director at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at the University of British Columbia. Kristin collaborates extensively with First Nations up and down the coast, all over BC, and throughout Turtle Island. Her expertise in Indigenous Data Sovereignty drives her work in supporting First Nations’ inherent right to govern and have autonomy over their own data and records – while the federal government turns a blind eye to the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples. Through these nation-to-nation relationships, she works alongside First Nations as they develop their own in-house protocols and frameworks for managing, protecting, and accessing their community records, including residential school records, Indian hospital records, and other vital documents that hold their truths.
An Indigenous scholar pursuing her PhD at UBC’s School of Information, Kristin’s research and professional practice centers on Indigenous Data Sovereignty and the ways First Nations are asserting their inherent rights to govern and have autonomy over their own data. Her work specifically challenges colonial frameworks while uplifting First Nations’ innovative approaches to data governance and access protocols. With an MLIS specializing in First Nations curriculum and six years of experience on the Hwlitsum council, she brings deep expertise in Indigenous leadership and community-centered approaches that honor Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
