Access Grid technology allows Native Americans to bridge digital divide

ARGONNE, Ill. (Oct. 24, 2003) — It was the sudden appearance of cutting-edge Internet technology that first created a "digital divide" between Native Americans and the rest of the United States. Now, thanks to Argonne National Laboratory's Access Grid™ project, a group seeking to preserve Native American culture is putting technology to work in hopes of bridging that gap.

The Tribal Virtual Network (TVN), a consortium of Native American communities, is using the Access Grid to provide broadband Internet connection to five tribal museums and cultural centers. Having the Access Grid technology in place will allow the museums to develop Web-based exhibitions and other educational tools for tribal members and the general public.

"Some families from the reservation have to make a 120-mile trip to the city to have access to some sort of education," said Arlan Sando, an Access Grid operator for the Jemez Pueblo. "Access Grid technology will make it easier for rural villages to keep up with everything that's going on in the world."

Based on technology developed by Argonne's Futures Laboratory, the Access Grid is an ensemble of resources that gives large groups the ability to collaborate through video and voice. These systems rely on specialized "nodes," or custom-designed spaces, that contain the audio and visual technology required for high-quality user interface. Just as electric companies provide consumers with easy access to electric power, Access Grid nodes aim to make the user completely unaware of the infrastructure needed for the service to work.

Though such user-friendly interfacing has had many applications for scientific collaborations, TVN members view Access Grid as not only a research tool for scientists but also a "collaborative ignition switch between communities."

"That villages are located far away from each other is the main problem in getting different tribes to interact," noted Barbara Tracy of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. "This distance factor makes it difficult for them to meet frequently, and as a result, the tribes do not have a strong sense of unity and find it hard to become a political force."

Despite all the potential advantages, TVN still faces obstacles in convincing tribal leaders of the significant impact of the Access Grid. According to Lee Bitson, one of two network programmers for the entire Apache Jicarilla tribe, a shortage of support staff limits Internet access to a few groups within his village. Since only a handful of people have first-hand experience with the technology, many tribal members remain suspicious of its benefits.

Yet, TVN remains optimistic that its efforts to use the Access Grid to link Native Americans with each other and with the rest of the country will prove successful. Already, as Sando explained, their team is hard at work on bringing high-speed T1 Internet connections to the reservations.

"I believe TVN's actions are going to turn a lot of heads in the technology sector," said Sando.

As it turns out, the TVN project's in-depth focus on art and culture is even turning heads within the team that was largely responsible for creating the Access Grid itself.

"I am continually amazed by the wide range of uses for the Access Grid and its continued growth, which now even includes Asian and European Access Grid communities," commented Mary Fritsch, a member of the Futures Laboratory and an Access Grid liaison for new users. "Access Grid software continues to advance and bring hundreds of people together every day."

TVN members will give a presentation on their unique application of the Access Grid during SC Global 2003. SC Global is part of SC2003, a supercomputing conference coming this November. This conference follows its 15-year Supercomputing Conference tradition of highlighting the most innovative developments in high-performance computing and networking. The conference features the latest scientific and technical innovations from around the world, while its SC Global events will showcase achievements in the arts and sciences among dozens of remote locations. SC Global will feature speakers from 16 remote locations, seven countries and five sovereign tribal nations - all of which will be coordinated through the central Access Grid node in Phoenix, Ariz.

The nation’s first national laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory conducts basic and applied scientific research across a wide spectrum of disciplines, ranging from high-energy physics to climatology and biotechnology. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations to help advance America's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for the future. Argonne is operated by the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. — Margret Chang

For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.