The primary objectives of Local Contexts are to enhance and legitimize locally based decision-making and Indigenous governance frameworks for determining ownership, access, and culturally appropriate conditions for sharing historical, contemporary, and future collections of cultural heritage and Indigenous data. Local Contexts is focused on increasing Indigenous involvement in data governance through the integration of Indigenous values into data systems. In an increasingly complex legal, social, and cultural environment, the Traditional Knowledge (TK) and Biocultural (BC) Labels offer Indigenous communities a tool to add cultural and historical context and cultural authority to cultural heritage content in their own local digital heritage archives as well as in digital archives, libraries, museums and other digital repositories globally.

Labelling helps correct historical mistakes, adds missing information in the form of cultural protocols for access and use, and provides local knowledge about digital cultural heritage materials. Labelling helps inform different publics about the correct ways to use, attribute, access and circulate digital heritage materials. The TK Labels also make it clear that Indigenous communities are stewards of these materials, regardless of Western legal structures.