Indigenous Digital Sovereignty: From the Digital Divide to Digital Equity

The concept of “digital sovereignty” has become critical for not only Native American Tribes in their pursuit of affordable and robust internet access but also for non-Native partners in understanding the importance of partnering with Tribes. Dr. Traci Morris, executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) at Arizona State University, shared her knowledge on digital equity efforts in Indian Country, including the need for accurate data in Tribal communities, and what current funding means for now and future generations. Indian Country includes 574 federally recognized Tribes on 334 reservations, in 35 states, on 100 million acres of land. That, in a nutshell, gives an idea of the vastness of Indian Country and the monumental task of bridging the digital divide. Dr. Morris led AIPI’s efforts to gather end-user data prior to the pandemic to understand the digital divide in Tribal communities. AIPI found that 18 percent of reservation residents have no internet access at home, either wireless or land-based internet (cable, DSL, dial-up). 33 percent rely on cell phone service for at-home internet, and 49 percent utilize a land-based internet service provider (cable, DSL, dial-up) at home. 31 percent have spotty internet or no connection at home via smartphone. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the digital divide for everyone, and for Tribal communities, we have since learned that affordability, speed, types of access, quality of access, and location of access are major barriers. Each Tribe experiences unique barriers and defines their solutions.