Digital Reach

computers in their own Chapters. They will help the Navajo

nation to obtain funding for scholarships and grants, and will

themselves learn new skills that enable them to compete in a

global market place without having to relocate.

Building on the Bill and Melinda Gates Native American

Access to Technology Programme, and now the Navajo Nation

Library Consortium, the Navajo nation is working to implement

the Web Warriors programme at all 110 Chapters and the

Window Rock Library, where Gates-granted computers and

broadband satellite Internet are operational. The Web Warriors

programme will hire two high school students to help others at

the computer centres.

Web Warriors will maintain the Chapter websites and will help

to input important community data for the DCD. They will also

function as communications specialists in the event of an emer-

gency. In order to remain a Web Warrior, students must adhere

to a code of values and maintain good grades in school.

The Web Warriors programme aims to allow longer hours of

public access, so local members can access distance learning courses

over the Internet at the Chapter outside normal hours. An adult

supervisor will be hired for the Chapter, who will take online train-

ing classes and help adults with Internet skills.

The DCD and the Division of Dine’ Education, as part of a tech-

nology consortium, jointly applied for funding for continued

telecommunications services for the Navajo nation library and

Chapters as extensions of the library system, helping to ensure the

continued Internet access at the Chapters.

GIS and project management

The DCD is also implementing a project management and

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integration system to help

provide better tracking and management of all construction

projects and to migrate all project data into an electronic database

with standardized fields so it can be integrated with geographic

map data.

The interface is user-friendly, and software and data are struc-

tured to make the system extensible and able to be integrated with

other projects. The Design and Engineering Services Department,

Community Development Block Grant Programme, and the Capital

Improvements Office are spearheading this project.

DCD Capital projects are mainly funded through allocations from

the three States (New Mexico, Arizona and Utah), various Federal

Government funding entities, and Navajo nation appropriations.

Each of these sources has its own set of reporting requirements that

includes the monitoring and accountability of allocated funds.

Today, Navajo communities are increasing their skills and bene-

fiting from sound planning that includes the following:

• Teaching people to contribute to the community’s decision-

making processes

• Developing the Navajo nation Infrastructure Capital

Improvement Plan, an important step toward rational, long-

range capital planning

• Teaching the community to use the web-based database

provided by the Navajo nation to create a planning document

that can be printed for presentation to funding entities

• Developing data that can be forwarded to the Navajo nation

and to the New Mexico State, Local Government Division for

publication in the Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan

(ICIP) website

• Teaching communities to publish planning priorities on the

Navajo nation ICIP website, adding credibility to a commu-

nity’s bond rating and funding opportunities.

Public safety

The Navajo nation Division of Public Safety (DPS) is leveraging the

Chapter/OnSat wireless and satellite system to provide the policy

framework for successful utilization of technology to improve public

safety. The system connects all users to a reliable, secure, private

network that allows users secure connection to DPS data and infor-

mation, regardless of location.

Officers have wireless, video-capable and upgradeable ruggedi-

zed laptops, and can take advantage of video conferencing and

distance education programmes. Users’ technology skill levels and

academic achievement will be assessed on an ongoing basis. Staff

will have lifelong learning opportunities and the scheme will build

on the established base of DPS access connectivity to local, state,

regional, national and worldwide resources. A comprehensive tech-

nology disaster recovery plan will also be developed.

Overall ICT goals

This is just the beginning of leveraging ICT to bring self-sustain-

ability to the people of the Navajo nation. The overall goals are:

• Maintain established, reliable, secure communications with all

communities (not just the ones with a phone service)

• Educate Chapters on what technology is available and how to

use it

• Build technical support within the local community

• Develop a community inventory including human and physi-

cal assets

• Implement the Local Governance Act which returns local

control to the communities

• Open the Navajo nation to the world. Since trade and invest-

ment are the real engines of economic growth, the Navajo

nation is working to open its society to commerce and invest-

ment while using technology to maintain its culture, language,

values and sovereignty.

Working with other communities

The Navajo nation is working with other communities to bridge the

digital divide. The Observatory for Cultural and Audiovisual

Communication (OCCAM) in Italy has agreed to establish an office

at the Navajo nation in Window Rock, Arizona. OCCAM is an inter-

national non-governmental organization with a vision of utilizing

culture and ICTs for development and to fight poverty with the

support of the Infopoverty Network System. The agreement will

help give voice to Navajo and indigenous issues on a global basis.

In October 2005, the Navajo nation will sign an historic agree-

ment with the indigenous people of Brazil, the Indigenous Culture

Nucleus (NCI) and GRUMIN/Indigenous Communications

Network, aimed partly at promoting regional dialogue, exchange of

experiences, adoption of best practices, community-driven sustain-

ability, spirituality, sovereignty, respect for languages, values,

traditions, habits, culture and the environment.

The agreement will address Millennium Development Goals by

dedicating itself to ICT projects in Brazil, including sourcing finan-

cial funding and using models to achieve self-sustainability in the

benefited communities. The projects will support education, health,

technology transfer, electronic government, security, micro-credit,

territorial management and access to international financing and

cooperation for self-sustainable development.

With ITU, OCCAM, the Brazilian Government and other orga-

nizations, the Navajo nation will provide the same type of ICT

services that it delivers to it own communities via satellite and wire-

less. While helping others to become sustainable, the Navajo nation

will improve its own sustainability.

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