‘Data Colonialism’: Native communities fight AI data centers on indigenous land

Krystal Two Bulls, Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne activist and executive director of Honor the Earth, characterizes the AI industry's data center expansion as "data colonialism" and a "modern-day iteration of settler colonialism" profoundly impacting Native communities. Honor the Earth is currently tracking over 100 proposed data center projects on tribal and rural lands across the United States, highlighting issues of environmental racism and resource exploitation. Two Bulls detailed the extensive impacts of these facilities, including severe noise pollution, increased risks of cancers and respiratory illnesses, massive water depletion—with some data centers using up to 5 million gallons per year—and significant strain on energy grids, leading to rolling power outages and fire threats. Additionally, data centers create localized heat islands, raising temperatures up to 16 degrees in surrounding areas, which could lead to ecological collapse. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon are criticized for operating with secrecy, often using subsidiaries and non-disclosure agreements to prevent tribal leadership from informing their communities. Indigenous lands are frequently targeted due to their large land bases, access to water, and attractive tax incentives. Furthermore, these regions often lack the robust legal infrastructure necessary to hold large corporations accountable. While developers promise economic development and jobs, Two Bulls noted that construction jobs are temporary and typically go to specialized outside firms, with very few permanent positions (sometimes as few as three) remaining after construction. The economic promises often fail to materialize, leaving communities with environmental and economic burdens. Despite these challenges, a burgeoning anti-data center movement, particularly strong in Oklahoma, is achieving victories. The Tulsa City Council recently passed a nine-month moratorium on data centers, and the Seminole Nation unanimously enacted its own moratorium. Multiracial coalitions, including agricultural groups and landowners, have successfully pushed back against these developments, with groups like the Muskogee blocking a data center resolution. Two Bulls emphasized that these successes in Oklahoma, often considered a "sacrifice zone," demonstrate the potential for effective resistance across the nation.