Advocating for Indigenous internet and spectrum sovereignty

Darrah Blackwater is a recent law school graduate from the University of Arizona, and an advocate for Indigenous Internet and spectrum sovereignty.

NATIVE LENS asked Darrah, a citizen of the Navajo Nation, what was important to her to share about Native & Indigenous experience of Covid-19. She shared this personal story about advocacy work she has done for tribal nations related to spectrum rights.

Darrah said “participating in Native Lens was great because there are so many important issues within Indigenous communities that mainstream media doesn't report on, like the causes of the digital divide.”

Darrah created this video while she was driving across the Navajo Nation from Arizona back to Farmington, New Mexico to help her parents with a move. As she highlights within her video, she really did have to stop on the side of road, where she could find a patch of cellphone service, to complete an interview for her first job with a law firm.

“In order to collaborate to find solutions, people must first be aware of the real challenges and possibilities in Indian Country. Native Lens amplifies those important perspectives,” Darrah said.