Cultural Review

Cultural Review Skill

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for reviewing code, features, and content for cultural sensitivity and Indigenous data sovereignty compliance.

OCAP Framework Reference

Ownership

Requirement: Storytellers maintain ownership of their narratives

Check for:

• Story ownership tracked via author_id and storyteller_id
• Both author and storyteller have control rights
• Ownership cannot be transferred without consent
• Community collective ownership respected

Control

Requirement: Users decide who accesses their stories

Check for:

• Privacy levels properly enforced (public/community/org/private)
• Users can revoke access at any time
• Distribution requires explicit consent
• Bulk revocation available ("Pull All")

Access

Requirement: Tiered access based on cultural sensitivity

Check for:

• Sensitivity levels correctly implemented
• Elder approval workflow for high/sacred content
• Community membership verification where required
• Access audit trail maintained

Possession

Requirement: Data can be exported or deleted anytime

Check for:

• Data export functionality (GDPR Article 20)
• Full deletion/anonymization (GDPR Article 17)
• No data lock-in or artificial barriers
• Portable data format (JSON)

Sensitivity Level Guidelines

Standard

• General stories, no restrictions
• Can be embedded externally
• Public sharing allowed

Medium

• Some cultural context important
• May require community membership
• External sharing needs approval

High

• Significant cultural value
• Elder review before sharing
• Limited distribution options
• No unauthorized embedding

Sacred/Restricted

• Protected traditional knowledge
• Elder approval mandatory
• NO external distribution ever
• May have viewing time/place restrictions

Code Review Checklist

API Endpoints

□ Authentication required (unless public embed)
□ Authorization checks ownership/permissions
□ Sensitivity level verified before action
□ Elder approval status checked for high/sacred
□ Audit log created for significant actions
□ Consent verified before distribution
□ Revocation cascades properly

UI Components

□ Cultural indicators are respectful
□ Sensitivity badges are clear
□ Elder approval status prominent
□ Consent status visible
□ Privacy level clearly shown
□ Revocation controls accessible
□ Trauma-informed animations (gentle)
□ Language is inclusive

Database Operations

□ Tenant isolation maintained
□ Ownership fields populated
□ Consent fields checked
□ Audit trail created
□ Soft delete preferred over hard delete
□ Anonymization preserves audit trail

Red Flags

Immediate Action Required

• External distribution of sacred content
• Missing consent verification
• Broken revocation cascade
• Elder approval bypassed
• Tenant isolation breached

Needs Improvement

• Missing audit logging
• Hard delete without anonymization
• Unclear sensitivity indicators
• Missing ownership checks
• No bulk revocation option

Approval Workflow

Standard Content

1. Author creates story
2. Consent captured
3. Ready for distribution

Medium Sensitivity

1. Author creates story
2. Cultural context added
3. Consent captured
4. Community review (optional)
5. Ready for limited distribution

High Sensitivity

1. Author creates story
2. Cultural context added
3. Consent captured
4. Elder review requested
5. Elder approves/requests changes
6. Limited distribution (no embedding)

Sacred Content

1. Author creates story
2. Cultural context added
3. Consent captured
4. Elder review mandatory
5. Elder approval required
6. Platform-only access
7. Never distributed externally