Tribal Broadband Bootcamps train Native communities to build their own networks

Tribal Broadband Bootcamps are helping Native communities gain hands-on experience building and maintaining broadband networks, according to reporting by ICT. Since 2021, nearly 20 bootcamps have trained more than 400 people from over 80 tribes across the United States.

Program co-founder Matt Rantanen, a Cree descendant, told ICT the bootcamps create a non-judgmental learning space where “everybody has something to learn, but everybody has something to contribute.” Instructor Davida Delmar, Navajo, said she encourages women to enter the male-dominated field, noting that more women are leading tribal internet service providers. The most recent bootcamp, hosted by the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan, trained participants in fiber and wireless technology. “Together, we are advancing digital sovereignty for our people, now and for generations to come,” Dan Doyle, the tribe’s chief executive officer of enterprise operations, was quoted as saying.