On the one hand, the scene is routine, the 21st century vocational equivalent of teens ducking under car hoods. On the other, it is exceptional. The institute is one of only two tribal colleges in this region. As on most reservations, conditions echo the Third World. Hundreds of dusty miles separate communities, many poisoned by alcoholism.
Computers are even more scarce.
Between poverty and inaccessibility, the digital revolution threatens to bypass the 2.4 million in 558 tribes. Internet connectivity brings distance learning and jobs to these remote reservations, homelands that many Indians would prefer not to leave. Establish better links with employee-starved tech companies and increase internships. Push for federal assistance to get satellite and other wireless-based connections to the Net, crucial for rural reservations. Work to share resources and tech know-how, efforts that often were thwarted because of intertribal differences.