Telecommunications Technology and Native Americans: Opportunities and Challenges
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Telecommunications Technology and Native Americans: Opportunities and Challenges August 1995 OTA-ITC-621 Recommended Citation: U.S. Congress, Office of Technology Assessment, Telecommunications Technology and Native Americans: Opportunities and Challenges, OTA-ITC-621 (Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, August 1995). oreword elecommunications Technology and Native Americans: Opportuni- ties and Challenges examines the potential of telecommunications to improve the socioeconomic conditions of Native Americans— American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians—living in rural, remote areas, and to help them maintain their cultures and exercise control over their lives and destinies. The report discusses the opportunities for Native Americans to use tele- communications (including computer networking, videoconferencing, multimedia, digital and wireless technologies, and the like) in the realms of culture, education, health care, economic development, and governance. It also explores the challenges and barriers to realizing these opportunities, notably the need to improve the technology infrastructure (and access to it), technical training, leadership, strategic partnerships, and telecommunica- tions planning on Indian reservations and in Alaska Native villages and Na- tive Hawaiian communities. Prepared at the request of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, this is the first federal government report on Native American telecommunica- tions. It provides a framework for technology planning and policy actions by Congress and relevant federal agencies, as well as by Native leaders and governments. Native Americans were involved throughout the study. OTA made site visits to six states and consulted with Native leaders and technolo- gy experts in about two dozen other states. Computer networking was used extensively for research and outreach, and OTA developed the Native American Resource Page for this study, a World Wide Web home page ac- cessible via OTA Online (http://www.ota.gov/nativea.html). OTA appreciates the assistance of the project advisory panelists, a ma- jority of whom are Native American, and federal agency workshop partici- pants, as well as the many Native government, federal and state govern- ment, library, educational, business, and other groups and individuals who participated in the study. OTA values their perspectives and comments; the report is, however, solely the responsibility of OTA. ROGER C. HERDMAN Director iii dvisory Panel David Iha, Chairperson Ann Bishop Gary Garrison Provost Assistant Professor Telecommunications Project Kauai Community College Graduate School of Library and Manager Lihue, Kauai, HI Information Science American Indian Higher University of Illinois at Education Consortium Haunani Apoliona Urbana-Champaign Lincoln, NE President Champaign, IL Alu Like Willie Hensley Honolulu, HI Connie Buffalo Commissioner President Economic Development George Baldwin Electronic Pathways Alaska Department of Commerce Professor Vice President Juneau, AK California State University at Mind Extension Institute Monterey Bay Jones Interactive Russell Huffman, Jr. Inglewood, CO Seaside, CA Public Health Director Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp. Manley Begay Steve Cisler Bethel, AK Executive Director Senior Scientist American Indian Economic Advanced Technology Group Development Project Apple Computer, Inc. John F. Kennedy Cupertino, CA School of Government Harvard University Nedra Darling Cambridge, MA Director Reel Indian Productions Santa Fe, NM v Rio Lara Bellon Randy Ross Charles Trimble Telecommunications Network Telecommunications Consultant President Project Rapid City, SD Red Willow Institute Extension Indian Reservation Omaha, NE Program Joan Timeche Washington State University and Program Director Dave Warren Confederated Tribes of the Center for American Indian Vice President Chehalis Economic Development Media Resources Associates, Inc. Rochester, WA Co-Executive Director Santa Fe, NM National Executive Education Joseph Orozco Program for Native American Madonna Peltier Yawakie Producer Leadership Tribal Nations Market Manager California Indian Radio Project Northern Arizona University US West Communications Indigenous Communications Flagstaff, AZ Minneapolis, MN Association Hoopa, CA Note: OTA appreciates the valuable assistance and thoughtful comments provided by the advisory panelists. The panel does not, however, necessarily approve, disapprove, or endorse this report. OTA assumes full responsibility for the report and the accuracy of its contents. vi roject Staff Peter Blair PRINCIPAL STAFF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Assistant Director FRED B. WOOD Liz Emanuel OTA Industry, Commerce, and Project Director Office Administrator International Security Division Stephanie Gajar Karry Fornshill Andrew Wyckoff Analyst Secretary Program Director OTA Industry, Telecommunications, and Commerce Program Karla Breitbach Diane Jackson Research Assistant Administrative Secretary James W. Curlin Program Director1 Jean E. Smith Karolyn St. Clair Project Editor PC Specialist CONTRIBUTING STAFF PUBLISHING STAFF David Butler Mary Lou Higgs Analyst Manager Denise Dougherty Denise Felix Program Director Production Editor Ray Williamson Bonnie Sparks Senior Associate Electronic Publishing Specialist CONTRACTORS Chris Onrubia Senior Graphic Designer Karen Funk and Sandra Ferguson, Esq. Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker Washington, DC ________________ 1Through September 1994. Pat Spears Consultant Aberdeen, SD vii ontents 1 Summary and Policy Implications 1 Opportunities and Challenges 2 Policy Implications 6 2 Telecommunications Technology and Native American Cultures 17 Native American Cultural and Community Challenges 18 Renewing and Strengthening Native Languages 21 Protecting Sacred Sites and Objects 26 Recording, Developing, and Sharing Native Cultures 27 Broadening Public Awareness of Native Cultures 34 Developing a Native Cultural Empowerment Strategy 35 3 Telecommunications Technology and Native American Community-Building 39 Technologies and Infrastructure for Community-Building 40 Education and Research 44 Health Care 54 Economic Development and Environmental Protection 58 Governance 65 Telecommunications Access for Community-Building 68 4 Native American Sovereignty and Telecommunications Policy 73 Historical Context: American Indians and Alaska Natives 74 Historical Context: Native Hawaiians 77 Indian Law and Telecommunications 80 Federal Indian Policy Potentially Applicable to Telecommunications 83 FCC Policies on Minorities 87 ix 5 Policy Framework for Native American Telecommunications 91 Need for a Policy Framework 92 Empowering Native American Telecommunications 95 Refocusing the Federal Role 104 APPENDICES A Computer Networking for Native Americans 123 B OTA on the Internet: The Native American Resource Page 127 C Native American Telecommunications Infrastructure: Survey Instrument 139 D Reviewers and Contributors 143 E Boxes, Figures, and Tables 153 INDEX 155 x Summary and Policy Implications s the Internet, electronic mail, compact discs, and digital telephones sweep through much of the United States, Na- tive American activists are asking themselves whether and how the new technology can empower Native com- munities. Or will the new technology of telecommunications and computers serve only as a modern-day version of the telegraph and railroad that ran right through Indian lands with little benefit to the tribes? Will the technology serve to bring together or further disconnect Alaskan and Hawaiian Natives from their continental and island homelands? At the time of the American Revolution, what is now the United States was home to hundreds of indigenous peoples with a variety of forms of self-government, organized at the tribal, vil- lage, or island level. Today’s Native Americans—American In- dians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians—are the descen- dants of these indigenous peoples.1 Over the last 200 years, indigenous peoples have struggled to maintain their cultures, sov- ereignty, and self-determination in the face of population pres- sures and ever-expanding national and state governments. The established framework of federal Indian law recognizes tribal sovereignty, a federal trust responsibility for those tribal lands and resources ceded to or taken by the United States, and a commitment to tribal self-determination over programs and ser- vices vital to tribal well-being. Federal law and policy apply this framework to the 550 federally recognized Indian tribes—in- 1Native Americans are defined in this report to include American Indians, Alaska Na- tives (Indian, Aleut, and Eskimo), and Native Hawaiians who are descendants of indige- |1 nous peoples who lived in geographic areas now comprising the United States. 2 Telecommunications Technology and Native Americans: Opportunities and Challenges ment and poverty rates and poor health condi- tions. The promise of telecommunications is by no Native Americans Population means assured, however. Indeed, if Native Ameri- a (total estimated 1990 population) cans, collectively, do not gain better understand- American Indians 1,875,000 ing and control of this technology, the result could Alaska Natives 86,000 be to further undermine Native culture, communi- (52% Eskimo, 12% Aleut, 36% Indian) ty, sovereignty, and self-determination. Native Hawaiians 211,000 No single technological solution will address Grand total 2,172,000 Native American needs. A variety of technolo- Native Americans living in rural or semi-rural areas gies, working