Latest news with #TimOminika
CBC
3 days ago
- General
- CBC
Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island gets a data centre to help preserve its cultural heritage
An Indigenous community on Manitoulin Island in northeastern Ontario says its new data centre will help it secure its data sovereignty. The Ogimaa (or chief) of Wiikwemkoong, Tim Ominika, said the community will be using the data centre to store information about programs and services, including the community's education department, health centre and services offered through the band office. It will also allow the First Nation to preserve its cultural heritage locally. "It empowers us to digitally preserve and share our Anishinaabe language because that is another thing we are looking at our knowledge, our traditions," Ominika said. The facility arrived by truck on Friday, May 23. "It looks like a large storage container," Ominika said. "But inside… with the data storage system in there, it looks like you're in a movie when you see all of the data storage and all the compartments. That's what it looks like inside, inside the unit." Ominika said the community previously used third-party vendors to host its information online. "Not saying we don't trust any other IT [information technology] businesses out there, but you know, we are just trying to look at paving the way for Anishinabek communities such as our community here," he said. Although he did not provide the exact cost for the data centre, Ominika said "it wasn't cheap." He added that it was a worthwhile investment for the community to preserve important cultural data, and information about services, locally. Ominika said Wiikwemkoong could make arrangements with other Indigenous communities to store their data. The data centre is also expected to create some local jobs to keep it running, and Ominika said he hopes it sparks more interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields among young people in the community.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
Wiikwemkoong welcomes data centre to advance digital sovereignty
Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. Ogimaa Tim Ominika said the idea was first presented a few years ago as a way for the First Nation to have ownership of and access to its digital infrastructure. 'It was something that was brought forth by our administration team … why can't we look at our own data sovereignty?" Ominika said. Wikidata2 Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory is celebrating the installation of a new data centre at the First Nation's administration building. (Supplied) 'Why are we relying on other outsourced vendors to, you know, have control over all of the information stored within our First Nation community?' He said it was something he quickly supported and he's excited to see the project come to fruition. 'From my understanding and talking to our administration staff, this is the first of its kind in any First Nation community, either provincially or nationally,' Ominika said. 'Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory -- our quote is proud, progressive and prosperous. So, you know, when we're looking at taking that new innovative approach, it is a very unique step.' A data centre is a secure facility designed to house servers and computing systems. It's responsible for storing, managing and accessing digital information. 'Currently we store we store all data in our Microsoft data storage centre in Toronto,' said Michael McCormick, Wiikwemkoong's chief technology officer. Wikidata3 A data centre is a secure facility designed to house servers and computing systems. It's responsible for storing, managing and accessing digital information. (Supplied) 'But it was important for us to be able to bring that data back to our territory. So it can be a vehicle that we can use to … repatriate our data.' Beyond safeguarding data, the hope is the new centre will create jobs. 'We're hoping that … this will kind of invigorate our youth to kind of join the IT ranks," McCormick said. 'We're hoping that, you know, as community members pass by and have a look … it might stimulate youth to get involved in the sector.' While the centre is on the First Nation, he said that the data is still being moved to Wiikwemkoong from the former facility. McCormick said that from here on out, all videos, language, apps and even traditions will be kept here for future generations.
