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

Learn more at Indigenous Knowledge Additional Readings and Resources.