Gathering at ASU begins to tackle AI’s impact on Tribal Nations

How can Tribal Nations harness artificial intelligence while protecting their sovereignty, culture and data? That question guided discussions at a first-of-its-kind gathering hosted by the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University on Sept. 26. 

More than 100 Tribal leaders, scholars and technology experts from across the nation came together in downtown Phoenix to explore how AI is transforming life in Indian Country and how Tribal governance can shape the technology’s future. 

According to Paula Starr, chief information officer for the Cherokee Nation, AI is already here. “We can say that we’re not going to allow our workforce to use AI — they’re using it anyway,” 

Starr shared how the Cherokee Nation is integrating AI into operations such as cybersecurity and threat detection and being used in departments to increase efficiency where they lack capacity. She emphasized that creating governance around AI use can strengthen digital sovereignty rather than put it at risk. 

Last year, the Cherokee Nation issued an executive order on AI to enhance cybersecurity while ensuring cultural and community values remain central as new tools are adopted. 

For Traci Morris, executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute’s Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty at ASU Law, the path forward begins with collaboration. “We have the options and we have the tools,” she said. “But what we also have here is community.” 

That community focus carried through sessions on the economic and environmental impacts of AI, as well as its application in language revitalization, health care and law. Speakers underscored the urgency of developing Tribal AI guidelines and policy to safeguard cultural data and traditional knowledge. 

The event also spotlighted the ongoing effort to close the digital divide: about 30% of American Indian and Alaskan Native households on Tribal lands still lack broadband access. Without equitable access to high-speed internet, communities risk being left behind as AI tools become increasingly central to education, health and economic opportunity.

“All the decisions that we are making now, they have ramifications for the future,” said Morris. She explained that digital sovereignty means Tribal Nations have the authority to decide how to use AI and other technologies in ways that reflect their people’s values and priorities.

“But the one thing we can’t do is stand still,” Morris added, urging communities to take active roles in shaping AI policy and work together, both with one another and with the federal government, to advocate for decisions that serve Tribal interests. 

Organizers plan to continue the conversation through upcoming Wiring the Rez events, including a workshop preceding the annual conference on Feb. 18, 2026. A white paper summarizing the dialogue and proposed solutions will be released later this year. 

For many who attended the takeaway was clear: if AI is to serve Indian Country, it must do so on tribal terms, guided by the principles of sovereignty, culture and community.