Terri Janke and Company lead phase 1 of WMAU ICIP and IDSov project
Wikimedia Australia is pleased to announce the formal commencement of a partnership with Terri Janke and Company (TJC), a leading Indigenous-owned law firm and consultancy specialising in Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) and Indigenous Data Sovereignty (IDSov).
TJC will lead phase 1 of Wikimedia Australia’s ICIP and IDSov Protocol Project – a foundational stage focused on consulting on the development of organisation-wide guidance for WMAU on the use of First Nations knowledges on Wikimedia platforms and on ethical engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This phase will help ensure Wikimedia Australia’s work reflects best practice in engaging with Indigenous knowledge, communities and content.
As part of this first stage, TJC will draft a Guide to help Wikimedia Australia embed ICIP and IDSov principles into our governance, partnerships, programs and activities. The Guide will be developed in consultation with a key Indigenous expert working group, ensuring that Indigenous perspectives and priorities are central to its creation.
While this Guide is being developed for Wikimedia Australia’s use, it will also be publicly available and shared with the wider Wikimedia editing community. It will signal best practices that will provide insights into and approaches for supporting respectful representation and collaboration when engaging with First Nations knowledges across Wikimedia projects.
Alongside the Guide, TJC will prepare a White Paper to capture key questions, challenges and areas requiring further exploration, for broader community consultation in future phases of this work. This document will help shape long-term approaches to ICIP and IDSov within Wikimedia Australia and encourage constructive discussion on the importance of recognising and respecting First Nations knowledges in the broader Wikimedia movement.
There will be opportunities for community engagement and consultation, including at WikiCon Canberra 2026, where Terri Janke and her project team will invite feedback and discussion on the draft Guide. Phase 1 of the Project will conclude in June 2026, with outputs released publicly, including recommendations for next steps.
This project represents an important milestone in WMAU’s commitment to ensuring that our organisational practices, governance and community support align with Indigenous rights, data sovereignty and cultural protocols.
We look forward to working with Terri Janke and her team, and with our community, to co-create a thoughtful, practical and respectful approach to ICIP and IDSov that will guide our work into the future.
Elliott Bledsoe (he/him) President – Wikimedia Australia
Belinda Spry (she/her) Executive Officer – Wikimedia Australia
