Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Digital Literacy Through Tribal College Technology Hubs

Bridging the Digital Divide: Advancing Digital Literacy Through Tribal College Technology Hubs

Native communities across the U.S. continue to face significant digital and literacy divides—not from lack of interest, but from enduring gaps in access, infrastructure, and culturally aligned support. This poster explores two national initiatives, Seeking Immortality and Reading Nation Waterfall, which center tribal college libraries as community-led technology and literacy hubs. Through immersive tools like virtual reality, locally created digital archives, and widespread book distribution, both projects integrate emerging technologies with Indigenous knowledge systems. They emphasize sovereignty, data ethics, and capacity building by training tribal staff and students to lead digital initiatives. From preserving endangered Cheyenne language and culture in a browser-based VR museum to distributing over 55,000 books across five tribal regions, these efforts demonstrate how tribal colleges can serve as powerful engines of digital equity, cultural revitalization, and lifelong learning.

Chow, Anthony

Chinese American Librarians Association

2025-06-29

application/pdf

eng

Poster; Text

Paper; Digital