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The First Nations Information Governance Centre

The First Nations Information Governance Centre

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Welcome to The Fundamentals of OCAP®

Welcome to The Fundamentals of OCAP®, a unique online learning opportunity developed by FNIGC in collaboration with First Nations thought leaders, subject matter experts, and online education professionals.

Newly revised and reimagined to mark the 25th anniversary of The First Nations Principles of OCAP®, the course is the result of more than a year of design and teamwork and features important content updates, original artwork from First Nation artists, and voice-over narration from First Nations actors.

The Fundamentals of OCAP® course introduces the OCAP® principles in a welcoming and culturally engaging way and takes learners on a journey through the importance of First Nations ownership, control, access, and possession of First Nations data.

FNIGC is proud to offer this ground-breaking online course that explores First Nations self-determination, self-governance, and collective rights to data sovereignty through the framework of The First Nations Principles of OCAP®.

Who is The Fundamentals of OCAP® course designed for?

This course is designed by First Nations and is intended principally for First Nations who work with data and are asserting the First Nations Principles of OCAP® as part of that work. It is also intended for those who interact with First Nations data or information and are looking to learn how they can best respect the principles in their work.

Data in this context encompasses data from First Nations, including languages, cultures, knowledge, stories, songs, and ceremonies, data about First Nations such as demographics, housing, health, economies, labor, education, and data on or about First Nations lands and resources, which includes waters, medicines, and animals.

If you are asserting OCAP®, the course will give you the background and tool you need to exercise data sovereignty. By taking this course, you will learn what it means to assert and apply the principles OCAP® through the work you do.

If you are looking to better respect OCAP®, the course will provide you with the knowledge you need to understand First Nations data sovereignty in the context of work done in government, academia, non-profits, or the private sector. This is an important teaching and an expression of a commitment to Reconciliation.

What you will learn

This introductory course unpacks the OCAP® framework and offers learners the opportunity to see OCAP® as part of a larger story. In this course, you will learn how the framework supports First Nations data sovereignty and information governance, what it means to assert and respect the principles of OCAP®, and critical thinking tools that you can apply to your work. Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

  • describe the principles of OCAP®,
  • understand key foundational concepts for OCAP® such as Data Sovereignty and Information Governance,
  • understand First Nations collective rights, and the difference between asserting and respecting OCAP®, and
  • connect the context and importance of OCAP® to your current work or role.

The course is divided into six modules, each lasting between 30-50 minutes, plus a course introduction. There are interactive elements and knowledge checks throughout the course, and a final assessment.

Register for The Fundamentals of OCAP® course now at the link: https://learning.fnigc.ca.


COURSE FAQs

Registrants have six months from the date of enrollment to complete The Fundamentals of OCAP® course.  

Individual registration in The Fundamentals of OCAP® course cost $500 (plus applicable taxes). 

The course will take approximately six to eight hours to complete.

Yes. Discounts are available for: First Nations students, First Nations organizations, Non-profits, and groups of 10 or more learners. To enquire about these discounts, please contact [email protected].

Go to https://learning.fnigc.ca/ and click on Catalog, then click on The Fundamentals of OCAP® course icon to add the course to your shopping cart. Note that each learner will need to create unique Learner Profile before completing their purchase. If you are registering multiple learners for the course, you will need to be prepared to create separate Learner Profiles for each of them, including their contact information.  Once you have completed your purchase, the registrant will receive a confirmation email and the purchaser will be emailed a receipt.

The French version of the course will be available in winter 2023.

Each learner receives a Statement of Achievement upon successful completion of The Fundamentals of OCAP® course.

No. There are no prerequisites needed to participate in our OCAP® Workshops and Presentations. For more information on FNIGC’s OCAP® Workshops and Presentations, contact the Education & Training team at [email protected], or read more at the bottom of this page.

No. However, the updated course marks a significant update to the previous and is a better representation of the current First Nations Data Sovereignty landscape.

The updated course was redesigned from the ground up and features important content updates that represent the current context of OCAP® and First Nations Data Sovereignty. It also includes a new interface and look-and-feel that spotlights original art by First Nations artists and new narration by First Nations voice actors, as well as the latest in online learning technology

Yes. You need to complete The Fundamentals of OCAP® prior to accessing unpublished data from the First Nations Data Centre.

Did you know that FNIGC also offers The First Nations Principles of OCAP® presentations and workshops? Whether as a complement to our The Fundamentals of OCAP® course or as a standalone offering, our Education and Training team is ready to deliver an engaging and interactive learning experience for your organization. We can even work with you to build an experience tailored to the needs of your organization.

Want to learn more? Contact the FNIGC team at [email protected].

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Head Office

341 Island Road, Unit D
Akwesasne, ON K6H 5R7
Tel: 613-733-1916
Fax: 613-936-8974
Toll Free: 866-997-6248

Ottawa Office

180 Elgin Street, Suite 1200
Ottawa, ON K2P 2K3
Tel: 613-733-1916
Fax: 613-231-7072
Toll Free: 1-866-997-6248

General inquiries: [email protected]

Media inquiries, please contact: [email protected]

OCAP® inquiries please contact: [email protected]

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