Closing the Digital Divide for Native Nations and Communities

On April 5, 2011, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing titled Closing the Digital Divide: Connecting Native Nations and Communities to the 21st Century.

Witnesses at the hearing were:

• Geoffrey C. Blackwell, Chief, Office of Native Affairs and Policy, Federal Communications Commission
• Alapaki Nahale-a, Chairman, Department of Hawaiian Homelands
• Loris Ann Taylor, President and Chief Executive Officer, Native Public Media
• Myron P. Naneng Sr., President, Association of Village Council Presidents
• John Badal, Chief Executive Officer, Sacred Wind Communications

Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) said: "Access to modern communications is not a luxury. It's a right. All people, no matter who they are or where they live, deserve access to basic telephone service, wireless service, and broadband. Without access to these services, too many of our citizens will be left on the wrong side of the digital divide and denied the kind of job opportunities, educational development, health care options, and personal safety that modern communications networks can provide. In our Native nations and communities, neither wireless service nor broadband service is on par with other parts of the country. I look forward to working with Senator Inouye and my Committee colleagues to do our part to close this digital divide and provide our Native lands with the communications infrastructure necessary to prosper and thrive in the 21st century."

"Historically Native communities have had less access to telecommunications services than any other segment of the U.S. population," noted former Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii). "The lack of good, reliable, and affordable telecommunications infrastructure impedes economic development, educational opportunities, language retention and preservation, and access to health care and emergency services. The Native people of our great nation need and deserve the same opportunities and ability to communicate that is already enjoyed by the majority of U.S. Communities. This infrastructure is long overdue and we must work to ensure that our Native communities are fully connected."

“The negative impacts of history fell particularly hard on Tribal and Native Communities, and aspects of this history resulted in an alarming lack of critical infrastructures. Broadband opportunities can do much to level this history in bringing health care, education, and jobs to Native Nations, but it must be available, accessible, and affordable to meet its promise. We have heard several recurring themes in our conversations with Native leaders ­ continue to meet with us, listen to us, and use what we tell you to bring communications on Tribal lands into the 21st century," said the FCC's Blackwell.

Loris Taylor said, "In the United States, there are 565 federally recognized American Indian Tribes and approximately 4.1 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. Thirty-two percent of this population still is without basic telephone service. Ninety percent of Native Americans have no access to high speed Internet. The absence of adequate communications services in Indian Country is no accident. Decades of failed federal policy, market forces, and the socioeconomic conditions of Native American populations located in some of the most remote areas of the country result in high build-out costs for all media. For the foreseeable future, we need your help in preserving and expanding the public broadcast system in Indian Country."