From Wampum to Blockchain: Establishing Digital Provenance in Canada

Digital Policy Hub Working Paper

July 22, 2026

Intellectual property (IP) theft is a growing concern in the digital economy, posing a national security threat and making traceability even more critical. While facing this challenge, Canada is also grappling with fulfilling its legal obligations toward Indigenous peoples. This working paper recommends that Canada develop state-backed distributed ledger technology to track the provenance of IP, using Haudenosaunee legal practices as a guide.

About the Author

Nathaniel Sukhdeo is a Digital Policy Hub doctoral fellow and a Ph.D. student in law at the University of Victoria.