ACM Digital Library home
ACM home
Advanced Search
10.1145/2757401.2757424acmotherconferencesArticle/Chapter ViewAbstractPublication Pagesdg-oConference Proceedingsconference-collections
research-article

The digital reality: e-government and access to technology and internet for American Indian and Alaska Native populations

dg.o '15: Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Conference on Digital Government ResearchMay 2015 Pages 217–229https://doi.org/10.1145/2757401.2757424
Published:27 May 2015Publication History
  • 6citation
  • 376
  • Downloads
Metrics
Total Citations6
Total Downloads376
Last 12 Months48
Last 6 weeks3

dg.o '15: Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research

The digital reality: e-government and access to technology and internet for American Indian and Alaska Native populations
Pages 217–229
PreviousChapterNextChapter

ABSTRACT

Information and communications technologies are powerful resources and tools for tribal governments to engage with their constituents, deliver services, conduct efficient and transparent administration, interact with other governments, and carry out policies. Digital government may in many ways be even more critical for tribes than for many other governments. As sovereign nations, tribal governments are engaged in complex relationships with other governments: local, state and federal governments. They are frequently in geographically isolated locations, with often-dispersed populations. The capacity to bridge distance can convey benefits for service delivery and civic engagement, and can connect communities with resources for health, economic development, and education. In this paper, we review research on Native American technology use and the limitations of available data. Because of the contrast between residents of urban areas and tribal lands, we examine differences in cell phone, computer and Internet use for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan Native populations, by education and income. We propose a research agenda utilizing this data, to support action to remedy disparities and to harness the potential of technology for tribal governments.

References

  1. Ayasia, H. (2013). Tribal colleges and universities: Rebuilding culture and education through distance education. Distance Learning, 10(4), 45--51.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  2. Azure, B. L. (2012, March 1). Digital storytelling is a new way to inform the public. Char-Koosta News. Retrieved from http://www.charkoosta.com/2012/2012_03_01/Digital_storyingtelling_is_a_new_way_to_inform_public.htmlGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  3. Bennally, K. (2006). The Snowbowl Effect: When Recreation and Culture Collide {Motion picture}. United States: Indigenous Action Media. As cited in Mahoney, M. (2011). This land is your land, this land is my land: An historical narrative of an intergenerational controversy over public use management of the San Francisco Peaks {Thesis}. Arizona State University. Retrieved from http://repository.asu.edu/attachments/56997/content/mahoney_asu_0010n_10960.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  4. Bregendahl, C., & Flora, C. (2002). Native American business participation in E-commerce: An assessment of technical assistance and training needs. North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Iowa State University. Retrieved from http://www.soc.iastate.edu/extension/ncrcrd/ncrcrd-RRD185.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  5. Brescia, W., & Daily, T. (2007). Economic development and technology-skill needs on American Indian reservations. American Indian Quarterly, 31(1), 24--43.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  6. Burke, S. K. (2007). The use of public libraries by Native Americans. The Library Quarterly, 77(4), 429--461.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  7. Byrd, C. (2014, December 29). Video game review: In "Never Alone" Native Alaskans explore the future of oral tradition. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/12/29/never-alone-review-native-alaskans-explore-the-future-of-oral-tradition/Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  8. DaNavas-Walt, C., & Proctor, B. D. (2013). Income Poverty In the United States: 2013. Social, Economic, and Housing Statistics Division: Poverty. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/demo/p60-249.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  9. Compaine, B. M. (2001). The digital divide: Facing a crisis or creating a myth. Boston: The MIT Press. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  10. Crawford, S. P. (2011, December 3). The new digital divide. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/04/opinion/sunday/internet-access-and-the-new-divide.html?pagewanted=allGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  11. Crimmins, P. (2012, February 15). Digitizing some Native American recording while keeping others sacred. Newsworks. Retrieved from http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/34079Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  12. Cueva, M., Kuhnley, R., Revels, L. J., Cueva, K., Dignan, M., & Lanier, A. P. (2013). Bridging storytelling traditions with digital technology. International Journal of Circumpolar Health, 72. 10.3402/ijch.v72i0.20717. doi:10.3402/ijch.v72i0.20717Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  13. Dadigan, M. (2013, April 20). Learning a Native language? Ojibway programmer has an app for that. Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved from http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/04/20/learning-native-language-ojibway-programmer-has-app-148920Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  14. De Mars, A. (2010). Internet usage by Native Americans with disabilities living on American Indian reservations in the Great Plains. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 29(2), 34--40.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  15. Dunn, K. E. (2004). Tribal libraries. Rural Libraries, 24, 95--110.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  16. Federal Communications Commission. (2000, June 23). Statement of policy on establishing a government-to-government relationship with Indian tribes {Policy Statement}. Washington, DC: FCC. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/OGC/Orders/2000/fcc00207.docGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  17. Federal Communications Commission. (2010, August 12). FCC establishes Office of Native Affairs and Policy {Press Release}. Washington, DC: FCC. Retrieved from https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-300855A1.docGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  18. Federal Communications Commission (2011, March 3). FCC takes action to help strengthen and expand broadband and other communications services in Native Nations {Press Release}. Washington, DC: FCC. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/native-nations-consultation-and-policyGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  19. Galla, C. K. (2009). "Indigenous Language Revitalization and Technology from Traditional to Contemporary Domains." In Indigenous Language Revitalization: Encouragement, Guidance & Lessons Learned, edited by J. Reyhner and L. Lockard, 167--82. Flagstaff, AZ: Northern Arizona University.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  20. Hays, H. (2011, October 6). Testimony on Internet Infrastructure in Native communities: Equal access to E-commerce, jobs, and the global marketplace before the Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Senate. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/2011/10/t20111006a.htmlGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  21. Helms, K. (2004, April 12). Saving the Peaks Medicine Men Speak Out. Gallup Independent.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  22. Hermes, M., Bang, M., & Marin, A. (2012). "Designing Indigenous Language Revitalization." Harvard Educational Review 82 (3): 381--402.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  23. Hermes, M., & King, K. (2013). "Ojibwe Language Revitalization, Multimedia Technology, and Family Language Learning." Learning, Language, & Technology 17 (1): 124--44.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  24. Horrigan, J. (2012). Broadband adoption in 2012: Little movement since '09 & stakeholders can do more to spur adoption. TechNet. Retrieved from http://www.technet.org/new-technet-study-on-two-year-anniversary-of-national-broadband-plan-u-s-adoption-rates-level offGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  25. Indian Country Today Media Network. (2012, February 22). Native language app gets cool reception. Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved from http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/02/22/native-language-app-gets-cool-reception-99211Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  26. Institute of Museum and Library Services, University of Washington Technology & Social Change Group, International City/County Management Association. (2011). Building Digitally Inclusive Communities: A Guide to the Proposed Framework. Washington, DC: Institute of Museum and Library Services.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  27. Iseke, J., & Moore, S. (2011). Community-based Indigenous digital storytelling with elders and youth. American Indian Culture and Research Journal, 35(4), 19--38.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  28. Jaeger, P. T., Bertot, J. C., & Gorham, U. (2013). Wake up the nation: Public libraries, policy making, and political discourse. The Library Quarterly, 83(1), 61--72.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  29. Jorgensen, M., Morris, T., & Feller, S. (2014). Digital inclusion in Native communities: The role of Tribal libraries. Oklahoma City, OK: Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  30. Krogstad, J. M. (2014, June 13). One-in-four Native Americans and Alaska Natives are living in poverty. Fact Tank, Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/06/13/1-in-4-native-americans-and-alaska-natives-are-living-in-poverty/Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  31. Kwon, N., & Zweizig, D. L. (2006). Use of community information and communication technologies (ICTs): Explaining the use of community networks with demographic factors, psychological factors, and alternative service accessibility. The Library Quarterly, 76(1), 81--106.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  32. Liebler, C. A., Bhaskar, R., & Rastogi, S. (2014). Dynamics of race: Joining, leaving, and staying in the American Indian/Alaska Native race category between 2000 and 2010 (Working Paper No. 2014-10). Retrieved from U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/srd/carra/Dynamics_of_Race.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  33. Mahoney, M. (2011). This land is your land, this land is my land: An historical narrative of an intergenerational controversy over public use management of the San Francisco Peaks {Thesis}. Arizona State University. Retrieved from http://repository.asu.edu/attachments/56997/content/mahoney_asu_0010n_10960.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  34. Mitten, L. (2003). Indians on the Internet -- selected Native American Web sites. The Electronic Library, 21(5), 443--449.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  35. Morris, T. L., & Meinrath, S. D. (2009). New media, technology and Internet use in Indian Country: Quantitative and qualitative analyses. New Public Media.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  36. Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & Anderson, C. (2014) Digital citizenship: Broadband, mobile use, and activities online. Presented at the International Political Science Association conference, Montreal, July, 2014.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  37. Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & Franko, W. (2012) Digital cities: The Internet and the geography of opportunity. New York: Oxford University Press.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  38. Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & Hamilton, A. (2012). Measuring digital citizenship: Mobile access and broadband. International Journal of Communication, 6. Retrieved from http://ijoc.org/ojs/index.php/ijoc.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  39. Mossberger, K., Tolbert, C. J., & McNeal, R. S. (2008) Digital Citizenship: The Internet, Participation, and Society. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  40. National Center for Education Statistics. (2008). Status and trends in the education of American Indians and Alaska Natives: 2008 (NCES 2008-084). Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2008/nativetrends/ind_5_2.aspGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  41. National Congress of American Indians. (2008, July 17). United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Oversight hearing on tracking sex offenders in Indian Country: Tribal implementation of the Adam Walsh Act, Testimony of the National Congress of American Indians. Retrieved from http://www.indian.senate.gov/sites/default/files/upload/files/JackieJohnsontestimony.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  42. National Congress of American Indians. (2012, April 2). Comments to FCC on Lifeline and Link Up Reform. Washington, DC: NCAI. Retrieved from http://www.ncai.org/resources/ncai_publications/comments-to-fcc-on-lifeline-and-link-up-reformGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  43. National Congress of American Indians. (2012, November). NCAI Policy Research Center, Demographic Profile of Indian Country. Washington, DC: NCAI. Retrieved from http://www.ncai.org/policy-research-center/research-data/II_2012_November_Demographic_Profile_-_Copy.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  44. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (1995). Falling through the net: A survey of the "have nots" in rural and urban America. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fallingthru.htmlGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  45. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (1998). Falling through the net II: New data on the digital divide. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/net2Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  46. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (1999). Falling through the net: Defining the digital divide. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/report/1999/falling-through-net-defining-digital-divideGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  47. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2000). Falling through the net: Towards digital inclusion. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/fttn00.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  48. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2002). A Nation online: How Americans are expanding their use of the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/anationonline2.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  49. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2004). A Nation online: Entering the broadband age. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/editor_uploads/NationOnlineBroadband04_files/NationOnlineBroadband04.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  50. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2011, November). Exploring the digital nation: Computer and internet use at home. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/exploring_the_digital_nation_computer_and_internet_use_at_home_11092011.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  51. National Telecommunications and Information Administration, & Economics and Statistics Administration. (2013). Exploring the Digital Nation: America's Emerging Online Experience. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/exploring_the_digital_nation_-_americas_emerging_online_experience.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  52. National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2014). Exploring the Digital Nation: Embracing the Mobile Internet. Retrieved from http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/exploring_the_digital_nation_embracing_the_mobile_internet_10162014.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  53. Ozbolt, Ivan Camille. 2014. "Community Perspectives, Language Ideologies, and Learner Motivation in Chickasaw Language Programs". Dissertation, Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  54. Palacios, J. (2012). Traditional storytelling in the digital era. First World Journal, 11(2), 41--56.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  55. Pew Research Center. (2013). Broadband vs. dial-up adoption over time. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/data-trend/internet-use/connection-type/Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  56. Russon, M. (2014). "Chickasaw Nation: The Fight to Save a Dying Native American Language." International Business Times, May 8. http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chickasaw-nation-fight-save-dying-native-american-language-1447670.Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  57. Samuel, K. A., Ribisl, K. M., & Williams, R. S. (2012). Internet cigarette sales and Native American sovereignty: Political and public health contexts. Journal of Public Health Policy, 33, 173--187.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  58. Sanchez, J., Stuckey, M. E., & Morris, R. (1998). Distance learning in Indian Country: Becoming the spider on the web. Journal of American Indian Education, 37(3). Retrieved from http://jaie.asu.edu/v37/V37S3dis.htmGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  59. Sequist, T. D., Cullen, T., & Acton, K. J. (2011). Indian Health Service innovations have helped reduce health disparities affecting American Indian and Alaska Native people. Health Affairs, 30(10), 1965--1973.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  60. Shorty, B. (2012). NavajoWOTD.com. Retrieved from http://navajowotd.comGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  61. Taylor, P., Wang, W., & Dockterman, D. (2010). The fading glory of the television and telephone. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://pewsocialtrends.org/files/2011/01/Final-TV-and-Telephone.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  62. Tolbert, C. J. and Mossberger, K. (2006) The Effects of E-Government on Trust and Confidence in Government. Public Administration Review, 66 (3): 354--69.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarDigital LibraryDigital Library
  63. Toensing, G. C. (2014, December 8). San Carlos Apache leader seeks Senate defeat of copper mine on sacred land. Indian Country Today Media Network. Retrieved from http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2014/12/08/san-carlos-apache-leader-seeks-senate-defeat-copper-mine-sacred-land-158181Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  64. U.S. Census. (2012). The American Indian population: 2010. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-10.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  65. U.S. Census. (2012, October). Current Population Survey, October 2012, School Enrollment and Internet Use Supplement File. {Technical Documentation CPS-12}. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/prod/techdoc/cps/cpsoct12.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  66. U.S. Census. (2014, October 27). Computer and Internet Use. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/hhes/computer/Google ScholarGoogle Scholar
  67. U.S. Census. (2014, November 12). American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month: November 2014 (Cb14-FF.26). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/newsroom/facts-for-features/2014/cb14ff-26_aian_heritage_month.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  68. U.S. Census. (2014). Computer and Internet use in the United States: 2013 (ACS-28). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2014/acs/acs-28.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  69. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (2014). Continuity and change: Demographic, socioeconomic, and housing conditions of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Washington, DC: USDHUD. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413083-continuity-and-change.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  70. U.S. Department of the Interior. (2014, January 16). 2013 American Indian population and labor force report. Washington, DC: USDOI. Retrieved from http://www.bia.gov/cs/groups/public/documents/text/idc1-024782.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  71. U.S. Government Accountability Office (2006a). Telecommunications: Challenges to assessing and improving telecommunications for Native Americans on tribal lands, Report to Congressional requesters (GAO-06-189). Washington, DC: GAO. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/assets/250/248920.pdfGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  72. U.S. Government Accountability Office (2006b). Telecommunications: Challenges to assessing and improving telecommunications for Native Americans on tribal lands, Testimony before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, U.S. Senate (GAO-06-513T). Washington, DC: GAO. Retrieved from http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-06-513TGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  73. Warschauer, M. (1998). "Technology and Indigenous Language Revitalization: Analyzing the Experience of Hawai'i." Canadian Modern Language Review 55 (1): 139--59.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  74. We The People. (2014, December 4). Stop Apache land grab (online petition). Retrieved from https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/stop-apache-land-grab/rnMfH0WLGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  75. Wexler, L., Gubrium, A., Griffin, M., DiFulvio, G. (2013). Promoting positive youth development and highlighting reasons for living in northwest Alaska through digital storytelling. Health Promotion Practice, 14(4), 617--623.Google ScholarGoogle ScholarCross RefCross Ref
  76. Wheeler, T. (2014, June 30). Official FCC Blog: New Opportunities in New Mexico's Indian Country. Retrieved from http://www.fcc.gov/blog/new-opportunities-new-mexico-s-indian-countryGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  77. White House. (2014, November 10). Net neutrality: President Obama's plan for a free and open Internet {President's Statement}. Washington DC: White House. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/net-neutralityGoogle ScholarGoogle Scholar
  78. Zah, E. (2010). Rosetta Stone-Navajo a new tool to learn language. Navajo Times. Retrieved from http://login.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/759291582?accountid=4485Google ScholarGoogle Scholar

Index Terms

  1. The digital reality: e-government and access to technology and internet for American Indian and Alaska Native populations

            Comments

            Login options

            Check if you have access through your login credentials or your institution to get full access on this article.

            Sign in

            Full Access

            Get this Publication

            • Published in

              cover image ACM Other conferences
              dg.o '15: Proceedings of the 16th Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research
              May 2015
              369 pages
              ISBN:9781450336000
              DOI:10.1145/2757401

              Copyright © 2015 ACM

              Publisher

              Association for Computing Machinery

              New York, NY, United States

              Publication History

              • Published: 27 May 2015

              Permissions

              Request permissions about this article.

              Request Permissions

              Check for updates

              Author Tags

              Qualifiers

              • research-article

              Acceptance Rates

              Overall Acceptance Rate 130 of 213 submissions, 61%

            PDF Format

            View or Download as a PDF file.

            PDF

            eReader

            View online with eReader.

            eReader
            View Table of Contents
            About Cookies On This Site

            We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website.

            Learn more

            Got it!