What is the Tribal Broadband Bootcamp?
The Tribal Broadband Bootcamp (TBB) is a 3-day intensive learning experience focused on building and running Tribal Internet networks. You’ll interact with network operators, industry professionals, and broadband experts who walk through what it takes to build a network and run an Internet Service Provider. Whether you have three decades or three days of experience – it doesn’t matter. The TBBs explain what the puzzle pieces are and how they fit together.
We believe that everyone has something to learn and everyone has something to teach.
Who is the Tribal Broadband Bootcamp for?
The Tribal Broadband Bootcamp is for folks in Indian Country interested in or focused on broadband. We recommend bringing a small team as many have reported this approach is helpful for team building, but individuals are welcome as well. At previous bootcamps, people who worked on billing, who had no interest in technology, left wanting to climb towers and help on installations. Technicians left with an understanding of how the ISP must work as a business, or how federal policy has shaped connectivity in Indian Country. In a few days, we prepare people to be much more effective in this work.
Please complete our inquiry form if you are interested in attending, hosting, or sponsoring a Bootcamp, or if you’d just like to stay in the loop about upcoming events.
Goals & Culture
TBB’s primary goal is to foster a network of Indigenous people working across Indian Country to build broadband networks and develop the best practices needed to ensure communities have high quality Internet access if they want it.
Additional Goals Include:
- Inspiring people to create and work at Tribal Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in their own communities.
- Building confidence among Tribal ISP staff so they can tackle challenges.
- Helping Tribes gain more control over their digital futures.
- Demystifying technology, law, policy, and more – Indian Country needs more of their people working at all levels in this field.
To achieve our goals, we strive to create an open, respectful, and supportive culture at our events. We understand that we all have something to learn, and that we all have something to teach and share. It’s important to us that everyone feels comfortable enough to ask what they might be afraid is a “dumb question.” In our experience, these questions often help resolve confusion others have too, and are great opportunities for collective learning. The Bootcamps aim to promote an inclusive environment that is conducive to building and strengthening trust so that we can continue this challenging work long into the future.
“I feel like I got my bearings here. I understand more about broadband and I’m super excited to go back and talk to my cohorts.”
Jacob Ford, Yurok
Working for Karuk Tribe
About Waskawiwin
Waskawiwin is the parent organization for our Tribal Broadband Bootcamps. Waskawiwin is a nonprofit organization comprised of a loose collection of people with a long history of building and encouraging nontraditional broadband networks. Waskawiwin builds broadband capacity in Indian Country by inspiring people to create and work at Tribal Internet Service Providers in their own communities. It aims to demystifying technology, law, and policy, and it helps Tribes build up their workforce development while gaining more control over their digital futures.