Decolonising Digital Co-Creation
Epistemic Pluralism and Indigenous Knowledge in Extended Reality (XR) Co-Creation for Climate Resilience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23726/cij.2026.1820Keywords:
co-creation, indigenous knowledge, extended reality (XR)Abstract
Indigenous groups are increasingly involved in digital climate innovation work, but their engagement with these new technologies can raise ethical and governance issues. This article explores the co-creation of extended reality (XR) prototypes for climate resilience with a Māori hapū (clan) in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, focusing on how agency, cultural protocols, and data sovereignty were negotiated in participatory innovation processes. Drawing on the concepts of epistemic pluralism and responsible innovation, the study reveals problematic power imbalances, with external control over data limiting Indigenous decision-making. Discussions around the digitization of culturally sensitive knowledge further exposed tensions around cultural protocols, ownership, and long-term stewardship. While frameworks such as OCAP® and the CARE Principles informed the project, their implementation remained uncertain in practice. The article argues that ethical digital co-creation with Indigenous peoples requires structural change beyond participation, including the centering of Indigenous governance, the embedding of data sovereignty in digital systems, and commitments to long-term accountability.
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