What is the relationship between Indigenous Knowledge and copyright law in Canada?
In its current form, the Copyright Act does not protect Indigenous Knowledge as copyright law is based on a system of individual and independent ownership. Indigenous Knowledge often has collective/communal ownership or no identifiable creator(s) and dates back many generations, all of which negate copyright protections. How does this relate to Mount Royal University? This can lead students, instructors, and researchers to mistakenly treat Indigenous Knowledge as if it is in the public domain, ignoring the Indigenous laws under which it operates.
A great deal of Indigenous Knowledge was never intended to be externally accessible, but has nevertheless been made so. Examples include:
sacred ceremonial masks
ceremonies, songs, and dances
shamanic art
sacred stories and prayers objects with spiritual significance
sacred symbols, designs, crests, medicines, and motifs
