Understanding the Local Contexts Hub

This article provides a brief overview of Local Contexts and how to use the Local Contexts Hub to create labels and notices for integration with Mukurtu CMS.

What is Local Contexts?

Local Contexts is a global initiative that supports Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous institutions. It provides tools to reestablish Indigenous rights, authority, and data sovereignty over their cultural heritage and communicate standards for respectful interaction with heritage collections and data.

What are labels and notices?

Labels and notices are a combination of graphics and custom descriptions that communicates a variety of information to the viewer. Labels are intended for use by Indigenous communities, and notices are intended for use by institutions.

Labels

There are two types of labels, Traditional Knowledge Labels and Biocultural Labels. They communicate ownership, protocols, and requirements for access. For more about each label and its purpose, see the Local Contexts article About the Labels.

Notices

There are three types of notices: the Engagement Notice, Disclosure Notice, and Collections Care Notice. These are primarily used by institutions to indicate commitment to equitable engagement, disclosures of important information such as protocols and responsibilities, information about caring for cultural materials, and appropriate access. For more about each notice and its purpose, see the Local Contexts article About the Notices.

What is the Local Contexts Hub?

The Local Contexts Hub is a web portal that allows users to create and customize labels and notices. Mukurtu users must create a Local Contexts profile and account or join an existing account before creating or accessing existing projects and labels. The Hub can be found at localcontextshub.org/login.

How do I get started with the Hub?

For detailed instructions on setting up a profile and account on the Hub and creating your first project, visit the Local Contexts article Getting Started on the Hub.

How does Local Contexts integrate with Mukurtu?

Local Contexts projects and their labels can be added to any community, protocol, or site using the API key generated for your account in the Local Contexts Hub. For more about how project integration at different levels works, see Levels of Local Contexts Projects.

To add a Local Contexts project, see Manage Local Contexts Projects