Indigenous Peoples on the Internet

Perceptions, Barriers, and Suggestions for Creation of a Tobacco and Health Website Among American Indian/Alaska Native College Students

“…When it comes to technology, computer literacy is generally poor [1,4] and the willingness to effectively use new technology can also be a barrier [1]. In regard to obtaining new information, American Indian social norms often see knowledge as exclusive to someone who has the right to the information [4,5]. For example, only a few members of a tribe may know how to cure an illness using a traditional method.…”

“…For example, only a few members of a tribe may know how to cure an illness using a traditional method. The availability of information on the Internet for health information may be counter to these beliefs [5]. …”

“…Information about American Indians posted on non-Indian websites can reflect erroneous information and repeat the history of misinformation and falsehoods [5], leading to potentially reduced trust in information obtained from the Internet. In fact, some authors suggest that there are more Internet websites about American Indians by non-Native people than there are by Native people [6,7].…”

“…In fact, some authors suggest that there are more Internet websites about American Indians by non-Native people than there are by Native people [6,7]. The Internet may be one more place where American Indians feel misunderstood and/or misrepresented [5] and may be hesitant to find value in information gathered from this venue. The Internet can also be seen as another attempt to assimilate sovereign people into mainstream dominant culture[5].…”

The Emergence of Indigeneity and the Politics of Race and Culture in Native North America

“…In addition to using the Coop to take a stand on issues including Ward Churchill (163) and Kennewick Man, he also used it as a space in which to position himself in relationship to icon of American Indian activism (and erstwhile mentor) Vine Deloria, Jr. (charged by Echo-Hawk with being a proponent of racial Indianhood, [109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117]) and non-Indian allies like the various activist archeologists participating in the Coop itself. Echo-Hawk's chapters on his activities in the Coop provide a fascinating look at the negotiation of Indigeneity online in one of the virtual worlds increasingly important to contemporary modes of sociality, indigenous or otherwise (Dyson 2011;Boellstorff 2008).…”