Pueblo Connect

 Community consultations and participatory research to identify digital information needs.
 Data analysis of rural and Native American communities Internet access.

This project promotes Internet access and content relevance in rural and Indigenous communities in New Mexico, United States. They engage with participatory research methods on the improvement of last-mile Internet connectivity and access, the development community Web skills, and the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies for connectivity and network management. Having in mind that rural and reservation Indigenous communities are the ones with lowest Internet access in the United States, the researchers work to develop technologies and conceptual frameworks to empower rural and reservation residents to meaningfully engage with the Internet, as consumers and developers of content.

The project engages community members in the planning, implementation, and dissemination of the research. The composition of the team is diverse and includes partnerships with non-profit, Native-serving, and community organizations that are actively working to solve digital inequities.

This project provides rural and reservation communities with conceptual, and material means to meaningfully engage with the Internet. Via technological advancements they offer adaptive, smart connectivity that can expand Indigenous access to high quality information and alternatives forms of communication and efficient management tools. Through their programs they identify digital information needs and develop a framework for Web-design training to increase the Internet presence of Native-owned organizations promoting change in different aspects of Indigenous lives in the region.

 Reports on Internet access and digital inclusion.
 Documentation produced in community communications and meetings.
 Academic publications on digital inclusion, economic vulnerabilities, and Indigenous welfare.

The researchers create a participatory space for community members to learn and engage with the Internet in their own ways and to their own purposes. The knowledge created and transmitted through their workshops and related events are shared with the local communities thorough the project’s website and other content and educational platforms.

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Indigenous Science and Technology Studies, Information Studies, Digital Humanities