Integrating Remote Sensing and Indigenous Knowledge: A Community-Commanded Approach to Heritage Management in the Atacama Desert

Abstract

Abstract This article presents the Zapar project, a community-commanded initiative developed in collaboration with the Atacameño Community of Toconao (northern Chile), which repositions remote sensing (RS) technologies through Indigenous governance and ethical frameworks. By embedding the CARE Principles for Indigenous Data Governance—Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics—into every stage of the workflow, the project transforms RS from an extractive documentation tool into a participatory, culturally grounded practice. UAV-based photogrammetry, spatial modeling, and virtual documentation were codesigned with community members to support Indigenous-led heritage management, memory activation, and territorial governance. Beyond technical innovation, this project offers a procedural, epistemological, and ethical-governance advance in archaeological practice. Procedurally, it demonstrates how the CARE Principles can guide RS workflows through shared authority and iterative validation (1) epistemologically, by integrating Indigenous narratives that redefine site interpretation; and (2) ethically, by ensuring data sovereignty and long-term stewardship of digital heritage within the community. The Zapar project therefore provides a replicable framework for decolonizing digital archaeology, demonstrating that technological innovation can coexist with Indigenous leadership, collaborative ethics, and sustainable heritage governance.