Overview:

Native BioData Consortium Director Joseph Yracheta joins Native Bidaské to discuss Indigenous data sovereignty, the growing threat of AI-driven data extraction, and how Tribal Nations can protect their biological, cultural, and digital information.

Upcoming on Native Bidaské, host Levi Rickert sits down with Joseph Yracheta, director of the Native BioData Consortium, to discuss the critical importance of Indigenous data sovereignty. Operating out of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Eagle Butte, SD, the consortium will continue to serve as a safe harbor for the samples and data of Indigenous communities worldwide. Yracheta will warn that tribes must act swiftly to protect their information in the face of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and corporate extraction.

According to Yracheta’s insights, the current wave of artificial intelligence is largely driven by large language models and machine learning, which rely on chunking data into common segments called tokens. He will caution that tech companies will deploy AI for “shock and awe,” giving away tools to corner the market despite losing money. 

Yracheta will highlight several positive initiatives and will offer actionable advice for tribal governments:

  • Tribes will need to pass overarching data management laws and resolutions to claim sovereign authority over their data.
  • Tribes will be advised to create ordinances and designate a specific court of jurisdiction to handle data cases.
  • Tribes will need to regulate the inflow and outflow of data on their reservations to monitor and timestamp AI models.
  • The Cherokee Nation, having successfully passed an AI policy last year, will serve as a model for others.
  • Organizations like the Indigenous Data Alliance and NYU’s “Local Contexts” labeling system will actively help tribes protect their digital and biological assets.
  • Dr. Don Warren’s recently started American Indian public health data center will help tribes easily access epidemiology data.

Watch this episode of Native Bidaské on Friday, August 7th, at 12 p.m. ET on Native News Online’s Facebook, YouTube, NativeNewsOnline.net, and TikTok.

Watch past episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@NativeNewsOnline/streams