Tribal nations put sovereignty at the center of future with AI

For tribal nations, AI is more than a cutting-edge technology — it raises critical questions about sovereignty, cultural preservation, data privacy and self-governance in a rapidly shifting digital world.  

Native communities are actively charting their own path forward, and Arizona State University is working hand in hand with tribes to ensure that digital sovereignty is defined and directed by Native communities themselves. 

An upcoming event hosted by the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, "Artificial Intelligence in Indian Country," is the first conference to discuss these issues with the community and experts.

On Sept. 26, tribal leaders, legal experts and innovators will gather for a one-day pre-conference event, setting the stage for an upcoming annual spring event, Wiring the Rez. 

Hosted by the Indian Legal Program at ASU Law and joined by the American Indian Policy Institute’s Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty (with support from JP Morgan Chase & Co.), this collaboration builds on more than a decade of dialogue. Since its inception, Wiring the Rez has served as a national forum where sovereignty, technology and economic opportunity meet, helping tribal nations chart their digital futures.

To better understand the issue, ASU News spoke with Traci Morris, executive director of the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty and a research professor at ASU Law. She spoke with us about why AI matters now, how tribes are approaching it with sovereignty at the forefront and what self-determination looks like in the digital age.

Question: This conference is one of the first to bring tribal communities and digital experts together around AI. Looking ahead, what role do you see tribes playing in shaping the future of AI, not just as users or subjects of regulation, but as innovators and rights-holders?

Answer: Tribes are not passive participants in the digital era; tribes are sovereign nations with the inherent authority to determine how emerging technologies like AI fit within governance systems, cultural priorities and economic strategies. Tribal nations have long engaged in self-determination policies as seen in health care, education and economic development, and AI is simply the next frontier.

The key is that AI must be approached from a tribal-centric perspective; tribes know what works best in their respective communities. For some nations, that may mean leveraging AI for language revitalization, archiving oral histories or protecting intellectual property. For others, it may mean a moratorium or a complete rejection of AI tools that do not align with community values or pose risks to cultural integrity and data governance.

Digital sovereignty includes the right to say yes, no or not yet. And tribes are already demonstrating innovation by building, regulating and deploying AI in ways that reflect Indigenous worldviews and priorities. As rights-holders, tribes are not waiting to be included in the AI conversation; they’re asserting their place in shaping its trajectory for the good of their community.

Q: One of the goals of the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty is to help tribes build their own AI and digital governance frameworks. What kinds of tools, training or policy models do you think will be most useful for tribes at this early stage?

A: First, it’s important for tribal communities to have a clear framework for what digital governance actually includes, AI being one piece of that. Tribes need to ground AI governance work within broader tribal digital sovereignty frameworks. AI is just one piece of a much larger conversation around data governance, infrastructure control and self-determined tech development or digital sovereignty. Technology moves so quickly, so the starting point is really understanding what tools are out there, what they do and what the implications are for tribal nations.

At the Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty, we focus on both practical and structural approaches. Tribal nations need access to technical training, capacity-building programs and policy templates rooted in Indigenous values. Additionally, we keep tribes informed about federal AI policies because these frameworks will impact tribal communities regardless.

Finally, there’s the power of learning from each other. Tribal nations can share not only how they’re using AI, but also how they’re regulating it in terms of what governance bodies they’re creating, what principles they’re adopting. In that way, tribes can serve as blueprints for each other, while still tailoring decisions to their own communities’ needs.

Q: Some tribal nations, like the Cherokee Nation, are adopting tribal AI policies that create governance committees and cultural protections. What lessons can other tribes and even federal or state governments take from that approach?

A: The Cherokee Nation’s approach to AI is a powerful example of a tribal nation exercising governance and digital sovereignty over how new technologies are used in their communities. By setting up their own governance committees and building in cultural protections, they’re making sure AI is developed and used in ways that respect their traditions, knowledge systems and values.

Other tribal nations can look at this model and adapt it to fit their own needs. It’s not about one-size-fits-all rules, it’s about each tribe making decisions that reflect their unique ways of life, governance and priorities. These policies also send a strong message to federal and state governments: Tribal nations are not just stakeholders, they are sovereign governments exercising governance and authority to regulate and protect their communities in the digital age.

Respecting that sovereignty — and learning from it — can lead to more ethical, inclusive and culturally grounded approaches to AI for everyone.

Q: Why is now the right moment for tribal communities to be considering AI?

A: We’re at a critical inflection point. If we don’t engage now, we risk repeating the mistakes of the past, being excluded from policy conversations, denied infrastructure investment and left to catch up after decisions have already been made for us.

Many tribes are still working to secure basic broadband infrastructure, and yet data centers and AI deployments are already being sited near our lands. Without governance, our communities may bear the burdens — environmental, economic and cultural — without any of the benefits.

AI is already reshaping public policy, governance and the economy. Whether a tribe chooses to use AI or not, we need to be at the table defining how it will affect our lands, our data and our people. Proactive engagement ensures we are not just users, but regulators, innovators and sovereign decision-makers in this space.

Written by Marshall Terrill, ASU News