Critical Response Essay Module 4

Critical Response Essay            Module 4         Jim Haske        IRLS551 Spring 2007 

          We are currently at a major crossroad in the story of Native American populations as they work to find identity and place within our modern society. Telecommunications and information technology will play a large role in this effort, as Native Americans begin to use these tools to support community-building in all its aspects: economic development, education, health, law enforcement, environmental management, and cultural preservation.  New partnerships will be formed and new endeavors, unique to the goals and values of Native American people, will be created.

          The federal government currently recognizes more than 550 Native American tribes, including 220 Alaska Native tribal or village governments (Indian, Aleut, or Eskimo). Population figures tallied by the 1990 Census, show that the total Native American population is 2,172,000, with approximately half residing in rural or semi-rural locations west of the Mississippi River. (Benton, 1999, p11)  The large population of Native Americans is further segmented from our modern society when we take into consideration that the 1990 Census showed that there were more than 250 living Native languages and dialects spoken by approximately 282,000 individuals throughout Native communities today.  (Benton, 1999, p14)

          Two hundred years ago when the federal government first encountered Native American populations, conflict and a policy of removal, most often by force, became standard procedure. This policy continued throughout the national period of expansion, and hundreds of tribes were almost completely eradicated through war, disease, and numerous relocations to newly established reservations. Slowly, the scope and perception of Indian law and policy changed, notably through the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 and the Indian Self- Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975. These laws refocused the issues of Native Americans toward self-governance, autonomy, cultural preservation, and the reclamation of each tribe’s future on its own terms.

         While undergoing research for this paper, I came across conflicting viewpoints regarding the level of access to technology being experienced by Native Americans.  According to Benton, “telecommunications and information technology in Indian communities is no longer a rarity. A large number of the 550 federally recognized tribes in the United States are involved in some way, ranging from connecting their schools to the Internet to regulating and running telecommunications services in their lands.” (Benton, 1995, p7) Many of the other articles promoted a point that the majority of tribes lack the funding, manpower, and required information to even begin thinking about bringing technology to their people.

          I believe that the Native American cultures suffer from a condition of being out of sight and out of mind for mainstream society in the United States. Unfortunately, information about telecommunications and technology in Native American communities is greatly lacking.  Many statistics, such as telephone penetration rates on reservations, were outdated and incomplete. Others were difficult to find, or simply did not exist. (Benton, 1995. p7)  According to Kade Twist, one of the primary surveys of information access to diverse cultures, A Nation Online, excludes data relating to American Indians, and in doing so, fails to provide a current measurement of the progress of information technology deployment efforts in America's most underserved geographic regions -- Indian Country. (Twist, 2002)  The FCC’s Michael Copps, recently commented on the state of Internet assess in “Indian country”, by stating that “even basic telephone penetration rates are nowhere close to where they should be, let along bringing the wonders of the Internet, which is almost nonexistent for most Native Americans. There is a lot of work to be done.” (Lasar 2006)

         A study conducted in 1990 revealed that of the total Native American population, 39 percent are considered young, meaning they are less than 20 years old, compared with 29 percent of the U.S. total population. The median age is 26 years old, compared with the U.S. median age of 33. (Benton, 1999, p14)  With relation to the digital divide, in previous modules we saw that the younger generations gravitate towards technology faster than their parents and grandparents, so I would say that this is an encouraging fact with regard to the prospect of increasing access to technology.

          However, if the younger Native American populations are not given access to technology in the early years, like the majority of students in the U.S. are, then they may not have the same openness to technology and would not be able to establish a foundational set of skills with which to build upon.  If the efforts to promote technology and access to Native American populations are stepped up in focus towards this large younger population, the potential exists to bring the Native cultures up to speed in a single generation.  From my research, it seems that many Native American populations have yet to decide whether or not their tribe, business, or organization wants to incorporate technology and telecommunications into its overall goals and functions.

          It may take more than just a willful attitude to bring technology to the Native American people, as many members of their population have a severe obstacle not faced by the rest of the nation - geography.  Many basic services such as reliable internet access, stores to purchase computers and related hardware, and even telephone service are not able to reach these remote isolated groups.  In a 1995 study by the Department of Commerce’s Economic and Statistics Administration, it was estimated that 53 percent of households on Indian Reservations did not have a telephone, compared to just five percent of the rest of the nation.  (Benton, 1999. p16)  Also included in this report was a chart that listed specific tribes by region and many of Arizona’s populations had the lowest rates of telephone access.  For example, 65% of the Fort Apache Tribe, 77.8% of the Gila River Tribe, and 83.9% of the San Carlos Tribe do not have telephone access in the home.  For many Native Americans, their first experiences using technology may be in high school or even only once they reach Tribal College, putting them at a severe disadvantage compared to the rest of the Nation’s children.

          An example that helps illustrate this hurdle faced by Native populations is the story presented in the article Native American technology access: the Gates Foundation in Four Corners.  In this article, we are presented with the story of Myra Jodie, a Navajo teenager that is selected in an essay contest to receive a new Apple Imac computer.  (Door, Gordon & Gordon, 2003. p428) Unfortunately, she lives on a reservation ten miles away from the nearest telephone.  Though it may be relatively easy to supply hardware to people in these situations, the required infrastructure may be impossible to install any time soon.

         There is yet another side to this movement.  Change creates conflict between the old and new, and there will be issues that only the tribes themselves can resolve: cultural preservation, identity, and values. They will have to decide individually what sacrifices are they willing to make for the sake of connectivity and how much a part of the Information Society do they want to become?  Many tribes are in the early stages of this endeavor and the value of information, education, and networking (both in the human and computer senses) cannot be overestimated. Tribes must begin at home to define their needs and goals important to their communities, and then reach out and forge the relationships necessary to achieve those goals. (Benton, 1995. p7)

         As a nation, we should consider the needs of the Native American people in our national information policies and programs.  Federal agencies, foundations, businesses, and policy makers must include tribes and Native American people in their scope of telecommunications and technology growth and opportunities. Once this is able to be accomplished, the Native people will then be able to contribute to society and educate the masses about their rich history and the concerns they are undergoing.  At the same time, any barriers or issues regarding their situation can be identified and solutions may be developed.

         The problem of low information access to Native Americans could be larger than currently recognized, and the gap could be much wider than expected.  More accurate information may help increase the priority of how this problem is addressed.  I feel that technology adoption may help bridge the gap and further include the Native American people into mainstream society, and bring attention and awareness to the multitude of concerns that affect their people.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Benton Foundation (1999) Native Networking: telecommunications and information technology in Indian country.  Benton Foundation Website retrieved April 1, 2007 from http://www.benton.org/publibrary/native/bentonne.pdf

Door, J., Gordon, A. & Gordon, M. (2003) Native American technology access: the Gates Foundation in Four Corners. 21 (5) The Electronic Library p428-434

Lasar, M. (2006) FCC reports that wireless device use in the U.S. has doubled. Retrieved April 1, 2007 from LLFCC.net http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/49

The White House (2000) The Clinton-Gore Administration a record of progress.  Retrieved April 1, 2007 http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/Accomplishments/technology.html

Twist, K. (2002) A Nation Online, but where are the Indians? Retrieved April 1, 2007 from University of Arizona course reserves.