November 25, 2008
Tribal Colleges Still Struggle to Provide Internet Access
An article in Diverse: Issues in Higher Education covers the digital divide and its effects on tribal colleges.
While mainstream colleges pour millions into technology, “tribal colleges are finding myriad hurdles — financial, technological, geographical and cultural — in their quests to become technologically relevant and thus appealing to increasingly tech-smart, if not savvy, students,” reports Reginald Stuart.
The article offers a picture of how some tribal colleges continue to struggle with providing access to computers and the Internet. Sometimes the problem is made more difficult by the architecture of the colleges — a college in Kansas, for example, was built with sturdy, cheap cinderblock that inhibits wireless signals. More often, the challenge is simply economic: Some tribal colleges are serving people who still do not have electricity or running water, much less cable modems. —Scott Carlson
Posted on Tuesday November 25, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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The statement “Some tribal colleges are serving people who still do not have electricity or running water, much less cable modems.” sends chills down my spine. How can we allow such a situation to exist in our “great nation” where opportunities are supposed to abound for all? Until we address such abject disparities in our country, the future does not bode well for us.
I hope and pray that the incoming Obama administration will include such challenges in its priority list.
— Joe Sekiy Nov 26, 07:54 AM #
Joe, there is no way to fully address your comment in this short space. However, by what you say, I infer that you think the Federal Government should provide the resources to meet all perceived needs that exist. Research has shown that Federal programs generally cost between 6 to 10 times the amount of private and local government programs. So, I argue that one does not find an acceptable answer in another Federally-sponsored, pork barrel expenditure, no matter how noble the cause might seem. Moreover, permission granted for anyone living in those conditions to move to where jobs exist; to take advantage of the tremendous amounts of welfare and private aid existing in many metro areas — until they get on their feet, financially; and to join 21st century reality. I will not criticize anyone for saying that s/he has a right to stay on the reservation, nor that based on treaty s/he should receive promised compensation, but the fact is that opportunities DO exist for any capable person willing to adjust to change. Finally, the government’s money doesn’t belong to the government. It belongs to you and me. If you want to move to where the jobs are, bust your butt 8 or 10 hours per day and then give your hard earned cash to help folks who believe it’s their right to not have to do what everone else has to do to make ends meet, you have my blessing. However, unless I am compelled by the rule of law, you do NOT have my financial support. In my life, at times, I have wanted for food and at other times I have had more than plenty. The disparity that existed only existed in my willingness to do what needed doing NOT in the opportunities to do it.
— Virginia Nose Picker Nov 26, 10:16 AM #
I want to clarify that the article speculates on causes of this erroneously. It gives the impression that many native peoples may be without electricity and running water and helps to perpetuate a stereotype. Some tribes/nations have a good economy and awful internal politics, a near-mafia like cult of tribal grift. Some tribal governments do well by their people, it’s really something that varies across nations. There are also decisions made by Indian people and Indian tribal leaders related to what is of value. I’ve worked in urban Indian communities where people would say they couldn’t afford treatment if a price was associated with it, but had two high end cell phones, a luxury car and could afford to do the pow wow circuit at the drop of a hat. It’s a matter of what the priority is and what it’s placed upon. Part of it may harken back to internalized racism, with the idea that even if money were invested in schools, even if students successfully completed, they wouldn’t do well anyway. That’s not my belief, but it’s an issue that comes up with internalized racism. If you want to see change for native students, hire more native professors for departments outside of anthropology and sociology. They can’t aspire to what they don’t see modeled firsthand in their classrooms, success of one who’s gone before. All of that being said, it’s also incredibly pompous to assume that computers and internet access are the end all and be all of a learning process. That is a culturally defined and prescribed solution, and native peoples have had their own culturally defined and prescribed solutions long before the invaders got here.
— Marge Nov 26, 11:11 AM #
Base on personal experience I believe that the solutions to these problems reside within the tribes.
— Al Nov 26, 12:22 PM #
I hate to intrude with history here, but it took the REA (Rural Electrification Agency), a federal program, to extend the electrical grid to much of rural America—and not that many decades ago. Even then the Indian reservations remained largely unserved. (And for the most part, the large reservations don’t have cell phone towers, either.) Beyond that, even for urbanites, the power grid relies almost entirely upon the “pork barrel projects” that produce hydroelectricity, nuclear power and coal power.
Rapping the public utilities may be fun but that doesn’t make it smart. We didn’t become a great nation by relying upon plucky individualists going door-to-door selling power they made with their bicycle generators.
— BertW Nov 26, 01:52 PM #
Tribal colleges unable to “get wired”, no cell towers on the “Res”? Are you kidding? Of course they are advancing at stone age rates – a “res” is one of the most racist places in America. Corrupt tribal government coupled with “visionaries” who wear blinders, leads to exactly what other readers see – fast cars, selling eagle feathers and walrus tusks to buy marijuana. Not mainstream America’s problem because they are not allowed on the res. Talk to people who live in New Mexico and and Alaska and see how closed minded “native Americans” can be.
— jaguar Nov 28, 06:16 PM #
As a Native America from New Mexico I resent the statement about “closed minded” individuals. If you would take the time to actually speak with a Native person instead of stereotyping and spreading misinformation about the “rez” you might began to understand hardships that are encountered. America seems to forget, or worse yet deny, the history and purpose of reservations in American history. Reservations were a means of destitute and assimilation. Natives were not expected to thrive nor survive the conditions of reservation land. Sadly, history has not changed much since the 19th century. Native people do not deny the 21st century. To criticize them for not leaving their home and saying it is their own fault for not seizing opportunity in another state miles away is closed minded and unsympathetic. Native Americans are Americans the last time I checked. And Tribal Colleges should be given the same advantages as colleges across the country. Why? Because it is not enough to declare Native students leave their homeland to succeed. Natives don’t want to give up anymore than they already have. What is so difficult to understand about that logic? Enough has already been given over and there have been many broken treaties that were never upheld. The point is every student in college deserves the means to succeed in a 21st century environment. To blanket the fact as being only a tribal concern or a problem of the “rez” is nothing more than to shrug the problem off your shoulder. We should be seeking answers not making up excuses. As a Native American who had to leave her homeland to succeed I am ashamed to see such narrow minded and unsympathetic feedback. Have you ever even met a Native American?
— Valerie Nov 30, 03:38 PM #
Reservations are not the only areas in North America without easy access to electricity. Go the the following newspaper article about getting electricity to people beyond the “grid”: http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0604/enews_0604_Ferry_PUD_Solar_Program.htm
— CitizenShip Dec 3, 04:25 PM #