Cherokee Nation Deploys AI to Scale Services for 480,000 Citizens

AI for Improving Cherokee Citizen Outcomes With Cherokee Nation — Ai4

Ai4

Tribal CIO Paula Starr argues artificial intelligence yields its greatest return by protecting tribal sovereignty and citizen data rather than saving money, enabling a 59-person IT team to massively expand public services without adding headcount.

AI-assisted summary of AI for Improving Cherokee Citizen Outcomes With Cherokee Nation — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2025-08-27

Detailed notes

## Background Published on YouTube by Ai4 on August 27, 2025, this presentation features Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer of the Cherokee Nation. The session explores how tribal governments redefine technology ROI around sovereignty, self-determination, and community resilience rather than pure financial gain, illustrating how artificial intelligence can connect citizens to vital services while safeguarding cultural heritage.

## TL;DR Paula Starr outlines how the Cherokee Nation utilizes artificial intelligence to support nearly 480,000 citizens across a 7,000-square-mile reservation with a lean IT team of just 59 people. Grounded in core tribal values such as resourcefulness and maternal data protection, the nation's tech strategy includes the Gadugi Portal—which scaled back-to-school assistance from 5,000 to 28,000 children without increasing headcount—and an MIT-developed legal AI agent navigating complex multi-jurisdictional law following the *McGirt v. Oklahoma* ruling. The presentation also showcases unique cultural applications, such as using AI 3D scanning to fabricate synthetic turtle shells for youth stomp dances, balancing sacred tradition with ecological conservation.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries a grounded, respectful, and pragmatic tone that seamlessly bridges centuries-old tribal history with cutting-edge technology. Starr delivers her insights with quiet confidence, cultural pride, and relatable humor, contrasting the painful legacy of forced removal with the tribe's enduring capacity to reorganize, adapt, and innovate. The session feels deeply human and purpose-driven, illustrating how sovereign governance can adopt modern digital tools without sacrificing sacred community values.

## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) Tribal governments measure return on investment (ROI) through the protection and advancement of tribal sovereignty and citizen well-being rather than financial gain alone. - [00:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=48s) A lean IT department of just 59 personnel supports nearly 480,000 Cherokee citizens across 7,000 square miles, making AI an operational necessity to scale public services. - [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) The Cherokee Nation's history of resilience and rapid reorganization after the Trail of Tears underpins its proactive, fearless adoption of emerging technologies. - [05:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=325s) A citizen survey revealed 70% openness to AI adoption, leading to a landmark tribal executive order ensuring emerging technologies align with sacred cultural values. - [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) Cherokee data sovereignty dictates that all data regarding tribal citizens remains the exclusive property of the Cherokee Nation, regardless of physical or cloud hosting locations. - [08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) The AI-assisted Gadugi Portal enabled the tribe to scale its back-to-school assistance from 5,000 to 28,000 children annually without adding administrative staff. - [10:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=655s) An MIT-partnered legal AI agent unifies fragmented tribal codes, legislative amendments, and federal treaties to navigate surging court caseloads following McGirt v. Oklahoma. - [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) AI-driven recommendation pathways on Cherokee.gov bridge information gaps by dynamically connecting citizens to adjacent, multi-program support resources. - [13:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=830s) Mobile AI 3D scanning and printing replicate stomp dance turtle shells, balancing traditional cultural immersion education with wildlife conservation. - [15:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=954s) Generative AI tools like Microsoft Copilot are leveraged to automate routine compliance and paperwork, freeing tribal staff to focus on empathetic, direct citizen engagement.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) Redefining ROI Through Sovereignty and the Cherokee Ethos

Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer for the Cherokee Nation Government, opens her presentation with the traditional Cherokee greeting (*"Siyo"*) and introduces the unique philosophy driving the tribe’s adoption of artificial intelligence. While this presentation sits in a conference track dedicated to return on investment (ROI), Starr explains that tribal governments view ROI through an entirely distinct lens. For the Cherokee Nation, ROI is measured not primarily in financial gain or cost savings, but in the maintenance, protection, and advancement of tribal sovereignty—which represents the core of their identity and existence.

Starr asserts that emerging technology, particularly AI, is not something to be feared or avoided; rather, it is a critical imperative for the nation's future. By taking proactive ownership of how technological tools are developed and deployed, the Cherokee Nation aims to ensure that digital transformation directly reinforces self-determination and deepens community connection.

[00:48](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=48s) Scale, Demographics, and the 59-Person IT Challenge

Providing context for those unfamiliar with tribal governance, Starr highlights that the Cherokee Nation is the largest federally recognized tribe in the United States, representing nearly 480,000 citizens across a 7,000-square-mile reservation headquartered in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The nation is experiencing rapid growth, adding approximately 16,000 registered citizens each year over the past decade. This surge is largely composed of descendants of ancestors listed on the historic Dawes Rolls who had never previously registered, with modern digital outreach and streamlined technology platforms making tribal engagement easier than ever before.

To put this immense operational scale into perspective, Starr highlights the critical constraint facing her team: the entire IT department consists of only 59 people. This lean team is responsible for managing all enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, and emerging tech integrations across hundreds of facilities within the 7,000-square-mile reservation while digitally supporting nearly half a million citizens. Operating much like a federal government on reservation land, the Cherokee Nation administers three distinct constitutional branches (Executive, Legislative Tribal Council, and Judicial District/Supreme Courts) along with public services spanning commerce, career services, law enforcement, human services, and a tribal high school serving students from 44 different tribes.

- **Total tribal enrollment:** ~480,000 citizens - **Annual citizen growth:** ~16,000 new citizens per year - **Geographic footprint:** 7,000 square miles in northeastern Oklahoma - **IT department headcount:** 59 personnel supporting the entire enterprise - **Governmental branches:** Executive (Principal Chief), Legislative (Tribal Council), Judicial (District Courts & Supreme Court)

[03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) Historical Resilience: From the Trail of Tears to Higher Education

Reflecting on history, Starr discusses the forced removal of the Cherokee people during the Trail of Tears (1838–1839) and the subsequent adoption of the Cherokee Constitution in 1839. In the southeastern United States prior to removal, the Cherokee Nation had established advanced courts, flourishing towns, and an extraordinary 90% literacy rate in the Cherokee syllabary—making it the most literate population in the world at the time. Despite these achievements, citizens were forcibly evicted. Starr shares the poignant story of Principal Chief John Ross, who traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for his people, only to return home, put his horse in the stable, and discover a stranger's family occupying his house. Ross never recovered his home or compensation; in fact, the squatters billed him for stabling his horse on his own property.

Yet despite losing a quarter of their population on the forced march to Oklahoma Indian Territory, the Cherokee people immediately reorganized. Within just twelve years of arriving in a completely unfamiliar territory and starting from scratch, the Cherokee Nation established its first tribal college in 1851. Starr draws a direct line between this enduring resilience and the tribe's contemporary approach to AI: because Cherokee people have continually adapted and pivoted throughout history, emerging technologies are embraced as another tool to empower the community rather than feared as a threat.

[05:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=325s) Cultural Alignment and Citizen Sentiment Toward AI

For the Cherokee Nation, technology must actively serve the collective good and uphold cultural values rather than dilute them. To assess community readiness, the nation's communications department conducted a study specifically engaging traditionalist citizens. The research revealed that while 74% of participants possessed only a basic understanding of artificial intelligence, an overwhelming 70% were open to its adoption—provided that the implementations explicitly reflect Cherokee values and protect tribal identity rather than "chipping away at who we are."

To ensure ethical governance, the Cherokee Nation issued an executive order on emerging technology—believed to be the first of its kind enacted by a tribal government—and formed a specialized task force to study culturally aligned deployment models. Grounding their strategy in the tribe's 21 sacred community values, the task force highlighted three foundational tenets to guide all AI initiatives across the reservation.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Culturally Grounded AI Strategy subgraph CoreValues["Cherokee Cultural Values Foundation"] V1["Resourcefulness & Skill<br/>(Upskilling & Cybersecurity)"] V2["Maternal AI & Protection<br/>(Citizen Privacy & Data Sovereignty)"] V3["Gentle Guidance<br/>(Workforce Adaptation & Inclusivity)"] end

subgraph Implementation["Strategic Deployment"] EO["Executive Order on Emerging Tech"] --> CoreValues CoreValues --> Gov["Tribal Data Governance & Cloud Strategy"] CoreValues --> Gadugi["Gadugi Digital Services Portal"] end ```

[06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) Three Guiding Values: Resourcefulness, Maternal AI, and Workforce Care

The first foundational value dictates that citizens should *live and be very skilled in all areas of life, and be resourceful*. Resourcefulness is an absolute operational necessity when 59 IT professionals support nearly half a million citizens. Starr emphasizes that 90% of her IT workforce is Cherokee, reflecting a core commitment to upskilling tribal members. In areas like cybersecurity, where threats are relentless, AI acts as an essential force multiplier: "New technologies make us better. They do not replace us."

The second value—*be stingy with one another's existence like a mother with child*—aligns closely with what Geoffrey Hinton described as "maternal AI." For the Cherokee Nation, this translates to fierce data sovereignty and privacy protection. Starr articulates a clear stance on tribal intellectual property and records: if the data is about Cherokee citizens and collected by the tribe, the Cherokee Nation owns it completely, regardless of whether it resides on off-reservation servers or cloud infrastructure.

The third value—*encourage and instruct one another in a gentle and thoughtful way*—focuses on preparing the entire workforce for technological transitions. As AI automates routine functions, the tribe is focused on proactively guiding citizens through workforce shifts and equipping them for higher-value roles rather than leaving vulnerable workers behind.

[08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) Scaling Citizen Impact: The Gadugi Portal Breakthrough

Starr details how these principles are applied in practice, highlighting the launch of the **Gadugi Portal** in 2021 as the tribe's flagship digital platform (*Gadugi* is a Cherokee concept meaning "working together"). Created as a post-COVID initiative, the portal incorporated AI components to assist in evaluating eligibility criteria for direct relief. As the tribe's first large-scale digital outreach platform, it rolled out with a program distributing $2,000 in COVID-19 relief assistance to negatively impacted citizens.

The initial rollout experienced unprecedented demand: in the first hour alone, the system handled 500 citizen logins per minute, registering over 30,000 users in sixty minutes. To date, approximately 390,000 citizens have utilized the portal to access services without needing to travel in person to the government complex in Tahlequah.

The transformational impact of this digital infrastructure was demonstrated shortly thereafter with the annual back-to-school clothing assistance program:

This ability to serve 23,000 additional children with minimal ramp-up time and no extra administrative headcount exemplifies what Starr defines as genuine return on investment for tribal sovereignty and citizen well-being.

[10:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=655s) Navigating Legal Complexity: The MIT Legal Agent Partnership

Working in tribal government often necessitates external collaboration, and over the summer, Cherokee Nation IT partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) alongside a group of interns to build a dedicated legal AI agent. While the project initially sounded potentially dry—admitting she initially thought, "Legal agent, hm boring"—the underlying reality of Cherokee Nation law is extraordinarily intricate. Because Cherokee Nation is a sovereign tribe existing within a state that was established over its territory, legal research requires traversing federal law, treaty law, state jurisdiction, and tribal law simultaneously.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: Legal Agent Ingestion and Research Architecture subgraph Sources["Fragmented Legal Corpora"] F["Federal & Treaty Law"] TC["Tribal Code\n(1,788 Pages)"] A["Legislative Amendments\n(Separate Storage)"] EO["Principal Chief\nExecutive Orders"] SC["Cherokee Nation\nSupreme Court Precedents"] end subgraph Engine["AI Processing"] LA["MIT-Developed\nLegal Agent"] end subgraph Output["Judicial Operations"] DC["District Court & Legal Teams\n(Post-McGirt Caseload)"] end

F --> LA TC --> LA A --> LA EO --> LA SC --> LA LA --> DC ```

The difficulty of identifying the definitive source of truth is compounding. The Cherokee Nation tribal code spans 1,788 pages, but the legislative arm frequently passes amendments that are maintained in separate records rather than being integrated immediately back into the codified text. Consequently, legal staff can easily mistake the unamended tribal code for the current source of truth. Further layers include executive orders issued by the Principal Chief and judicial precedents established by the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court.

This research challenge became urgent following the landmark 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in *McGirt v. Oklahoma*, which reaffirmed tribal sovereignty over reservation boundaries and recognized tribal criminal and civil jurisdiction, causing caseloads in the Cherokee Nation District Court to explode overnight. Ensuring tribal attorneys and judges identify the accurate, fully updated version of the law on every case is critical. The MIT-developed legal agent synthesizes all these fragmented authorities into a single search environment—a collaborative achievement that would have been impossible to build manually.

- **Tribal code volume**: 1,788 pages, supplemented by external, unmerged legislative amendments. - **Key legal driver**: The 2020 *McGirt v. Oklahoma* U.S. Supreme Court precedent expanding tribal court dockets. - **Multi-jurisdictional reach**: Integrates federal treaties, executive orders, legislative acts, and Cherokee Nation Supreme Court case law.

---

[13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) Connecting Citizens to Services via Cherokee.gov

Cherokee Nation is overhauling its digital presence through the launch of a new website at Cherokee.gov, embedding citizen-centric pathways powered by artificial intelligence. While the tribal government is "resource-rich," the primary friction point has historically been knowledge distribution—getting information about relevant benefits to the citizens who need them most.

Citizens frequently contact the tribal government seeking assistance for a single, narrow need, unaware that four or five adjacent support programs exist that could collectively guide their household toward sustainable self-sufficiency. By introducing AI-augmented recommendation pathways into Cherokee.gov, the platform actively bridges these discovery gaps, connecting citizens dynamically to comprehensive tribal resources at the right time.

---

[13:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=830s) 3D-Printed Turtle Shells: Preserving Wildlife and Cultural Stomp Dance

At the Cherokee Nation immersion school, children are taught their heritage and subjects entirely in the Cherokee language from infancy up through high school. The cultural environment is total: every sign in the facility is written in Cherokee syllabary—including the IT department's network closets, which occasionally poses a humorous challenge for non-fluent technicians trying to locate server hardware. Among the core cultural traditions taught to the students is the traditional stomp dance.

During a stomp dance, dancers wear shackles containing clusters of turtle shells tied around their legs, with small rocks or metal bottle caps inserted inside to generate the rhythmic, percussive sound central to the ceremony. Equipping dozens of growing school children requires a significant number of shells per leg, which historically required killing numerous turtles. Although sacred blessings are performed over every animal, taking the turtles' lives remains emotionally painful, raises serious wildlife conservation concerns, and touches a deep spiritual belief: Cherokee tradition holds that "when the turtles stop singing, we cease to be a people."

To protect local turtle populations while honoring cultural education, IT utilized a commercial mobile AI scanning application to capture high-fidelity 3D models of authentic turtle shells. The scans were sent to 3D printers to fabricate synthetic replicas. The resulting 3D-printed shells match the visual aesthetic and acoustic resonance of natural shells when filled with rattles, offering a sustainable alternative that satisfies both cultural leaders and ecological stewardship.

---

[15:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=954s) AI Ethos and Microsoft Copilot Workflow Automation

Cherokee Nation approaches technology strictly through an ethos of respect and traditional community values: artificial intelligence is treated solely as a tool to automate mundane clerical burdens, not as a replacement for human connection. The overarching objective is to free up tribal staff to hold richer, more empathetic conversations with citizens.

A prime example of applying everyday tools occurred when the Principal Chief issued an executive order requiring every tribal department to implement paper and print reduction strategies and submit a formalized plan by the end of the following month. Recognizing that administrative teams dread drafting strategic compliance reports, the IT team proactively reached out to turn the mandate into an easy collaboration:

```mermaid flowchart LR accTitle: Copilot Paper Reduction Workflow subgraph Discovery["1-Hour Department Interview"] M["Teams Call + Copilot"] D["Discuss Print Workflows\n& Secure Printing"] end subgraph Automation["10-Minute Synthesis"] P["Custom System Prompt\n(Chief's Required Structure)"] R["Final Strategic\nReduction Report"] end

M --> D D --> P P --> R ```

1. **One-Hour Interactive Interviews**: IT scheduled single-hour Microsoft Teams meetings with department heads, turning on Microsoft Copilot to transcribe and organize the conversation. 2. **Workflow Education**: During the discussions, staff reviewed paper-heavy processes and learned about existing technical capabilities they had overlooked—such as secure pull-printing, which addressed fears that printing confidential files to shared printers would expose citizen data. 3. **Structured Prompt Generation**: Following the call, IT ran Copilot's transcript through a customized prompt engineered to match the exact reporting format requested by the Chief's office. 4. **Rapid Finalization**: Within 10 minutes of ending the meeting, a complete, polished paper-reduction strategy report was ready for executive delivery.

Beyond internal administrative efficiencies, IT is expanding its scope across the entire 14-county reservation. The department is preparing reservation-wide innovation summits to convene local communities and explore how modern technological adoption can drive regional tribal commerce. The presentation concluded with a Cherokee expression of gratitude: *"Wado"* ("thank you").

## Notable quotes > [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) Siyo — Paula Starr

> [05:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=325s) chipping away at who we are — Cherokee Citizen Study Participant

> [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) live and be very skilled in all areas of life, and be resourceful — Cherokee Cultural Tenet

> [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) New technologies make us better. They do not replace us. — Paula Starr

> [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) be stingy with one another's existence like a mother with child — Cherokee Cultural Tenet

> [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) maternal AI — Geoffrey Hinton

> [06:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=418s) encourage and instruct one another in a gentle and thoughtful way — Cherokee Cultural Tenet

> [08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) working together — Paula Starr

> [10:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=655s) Legal agent, hm boring — Paula Starr

> [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) resource-rich — Paula Starr

> [13:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=830s) when the turtles stop singing, we cease to be a people. — Cherokee Tradition

> [15:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=954s) Wado — Paula Starr

## Mentioned Paula Starr, Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Dawes Rolls, John Ross, Geoffrey Hinton, Gadugi Portal, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), McGirt v. Oklahoma, Cherokee.gov, Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Teams

## Video description Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer, Cherokee Nation

Abstracts

How do you measure the success for a technology that plays an important role in the future self-determination and sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation? In the Cherokee Nation, the stakes are higher when it comes to implementing AI. This technology is not just about efficiency; it's about connecting citizens to resources faster, adapting to external changes, and preserving cultural heritage. Attendees will learn how the Cherokee Nation measures the success of AI initiatives that impact self-determination and sovereignty. They will gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of using AI to enhance community resilience and cultural preservation. Join us to discover how AI can be a powerful tool for positive citizen outcomes and the future of the Cherokee Nation.

[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc)

中文简报

切诺基族部署AI为48万公民拓展服务部落首席信息官Paula Starr认为，人工智能的最大回报在于维护部落主权和公民数据，而非单纯节省资金，这使得一支仅59人的IT团队在不增加人手的情况下大幅扩展了公共服务。 Paula Starr概述了切诺基族如何利用人工智能，仅凭一支59人的精干IT团队，在占地7,000平方英里的保留地内为近48万名公民提供支持。该部落的技术战略植根于足智多谋和母性般的数据保护等核心部落价值观，具体包括Gadugi Portal——在不增加人手的情况下将返校资助惠及的儿童从5,000名扩大至28,000名——以及由MIT开发的法律AI智能体，用于在*McGirt v. Oklahoma*裁决后应对复杂的多重管辖法律。此外，演讲还展示了独特的文化应用，例如利用AI 3D扫描技术制作合成龟壳供青少年跺脚舞（stomp dances）使用，兼顾了神圣传统与生态保护。切罗基国（Cherokee Nation）将保护与推进部落主权作为衡量技术投资回报率（ROI）的核心标准，依托仅 59 人的精简 IT 团队，利用 AI 为 7,000 平方英里内的近 48 万名公民扩展公共服务。 (0:48) 公民调研显示 70% 的族人支持应用 AI；切罗基国据此颁布了首个新兴技术行政命令，并确立切罗基数据主权原则，规定所有涉及部落公民的数据无论存储在何处均归部落独有。 (5:25) 引入 AI 资格审核的 Gadugi Portal 实现了服务规模的跃升，在未增加任何行政编制的情况下，将年度返校服装援助儿童人数从 5,000 人迅速扩大至 28,000 人。 (8:53) 为应对 McGirt v. Oklahoma 判决后剧增的司法审理需求，切罗基国与麻省理工学院（MIT）合作开发法律 AI Agent，统一整合 1,788 页的部落法典、未合并的立法修正案及联邦条约。 (10:55)

Reading summary

Cherokee Nation Chief Information Officer Paula Starr outlines how the tribal government uses artificial intelligence to expand citizen services, protect sovereignty, and preserve cultural heritage despite severe staffing constraints. Sovereignty-Driven ROI and Culturally Grounded Governance (0:04) For the Cherokee Nation, return on investment in technology is defined primarily by the protection and advancement of tribal sovereignty rather than financial profit. Operating across a 7,000-square-mile reservation in northeastern Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation represents roughly 480,000 enrolled citizens, expanding by approximately 16,000 citizens annually. However, the entire tribal enterprise is supported by an IT department of just 59 people, of whom 90% are Cherokee citizens. To manage this scale, Starr views AI as an essential force multiplier to enhance human capacity rather than replace workers. To ensure technology adoption aligns with community expectations, the tribe surveyed traditionalist citizens, finding that while 74% had only a basic understanding of AI, 70% supported its adoption if it protected tribal identity and values. The government enacted an executive order on emerging technology—believed to be the first by a tribal nation—and established a task force guided by traditional community values. These principles emphasize resourcefulness and technical upskilling, strict data sovereignty—asserting full tribal ownership over citizen data regardless of whether it resides on cloud infrastructure—and gentle, supportive workforce transitions. Scaling Public Services Through Automated Platforms (8:53) The tribe demonstrated the impact of culturally aligned digital deployment through the Gadugi Portal, established in 2021 to distribute post-COVID-19 relief. During its launch for $2,000 citizen relief disbursements, the portal processed 500 logins per minute and registered more than 30,000 citizens in its first hour. To date, around 390,000 citizens have accessed governmental assistance remotely through the platform without traveling to the tribal complex in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Automated eligibility intake also restructured routine public benefit delivery. Under the tribe's traditional paper-based back-to-school clothing program, human services staff could process support for approximately 5,000 children annually. Deploying AI-assisted intake through the Gadugi Portal expanded coverage to 28,000 children—an increase of 23,000 students—with zero additional administrative staff. The tribe is currently incorporating AI-driven recommendation pathways into Cherokee.gov to help citizens discover multiple adjacent support programs when inquiring about single services. Resolving Multi-Jurisdictional Complexity With Legal AI (10:55) Navigating tribal legal research presents compounding friction because the Cherokee Nation operates within overlapping layers of federal treaties, state jurisdiction, executive orders, and tribal statutes. The primary tribal code spans 1,788 pages, but subsequent legislative amendments are stored separately, risking confusion over the valid source of truth. Legal complexity accelerated following the 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma, which recognized tribal criminal and civil jurisdiction across reservation lands and caused Cherokee Nation District Court caseloads to surge. To help tribal judges and attorneys verify current law, Cherokee Nation IT collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and student interns to engineer a specialized legal AI agent. The agent ingests and cross-references the 1,788-page code, uncodified legislative amendments, executive orders, Supreme Court precedents, and federal treaties into a consolidated query interface, automating complex document synthesis that staff could not execute manually. Cultural Stewardship and Administrative Workflow Automation (13:50) The Cherokee Nation also applies AI to solve ecological and cultural tensions. At the tribal language immersion school, children participate in traditional stomp dances that require clusters of turtle shells worn around the legs to produce ceremonial percussion. Because historical practices required taking turtle lives, and tradition holds that Cherokee identity is tied to the turtle's song, IT technicians used mobile AI scanning to create accurate 3D models of authentic shells. The resulting 3D-printed replicas mirror the natural acoustics and aesthetics when filled with rattles, protecting local wildlife while preserving ceremonial education. Internally, the IT team applies commercial tools like Microsoft Copilot to alleviate administrative burdens and allow staff to focus on direct citizen engagement. Following an executive mandate requiring tribal departments to submit comprehensive paper-reduction strategies, IT conducted one-hour recorded interviews with department heads. Transcripts were processed through structured prompts tailored to executive requirements, generating complete compliance reports in ten minutes and eliminating tedious administrative reporting. The Cherokee Nation demonstrates that small administrative teams can harness AI to expand social benefits, automate legal synthesis, and preserve cultural traditions, provided deployments remain firmly anchored in tribal data sovereignty and community values.

精炼阅读摘要

切罗基民族（Cherokee Nation）首席信息官 Paula Starr 指出，该部落并未将人工智能的投资回报率（ROI）局限于单纯的财务收益或成本节约，而是将其定义为捍卫、维护与拓展部落主权及公民福祉的战略抓手。在仅有 59 人的 IT 团队面临服务近 48 万名公民的严峻约束下，切罗基民族凭借历史韧性与传统伦理，将 AI 作为力量倍增器，全面赋能公共服务、司法研究、文化传承与行政提效。部落主权、传统价值观与数据治理原则 (0:04) 切罗基民族是美国联邦认可的最大部落，拥有近 48 万名登记公民，辖区覆盖俄克拉荷马州东北部 7,000 平方英里的保留地，且过去十年间以每年约 1.6 万人的速度递增。然而，统筹整个政府分支、司法系统、执法及公共民生服务的企业 IT 部门仅有 59 名员工（其中 90% 为切罗基人）。Starr 强调，部落历史充满了逆境重组的韧性：在经历 1838–1839 年“眼泪之路”（Trail of Tears）的强迫迁徙与人口剧减后，切罗基人仅用 12 年便在全新土地上于 1851 年建立了第一所部落学院。面对现代技术浪潮，部落同样视 AI 为赋能工具而非生存威胁。一项针对传统派公民的调研显示，虽然 74% 的受访者仅具备基础的 AI 认知，但高达 70% 的人对采用 AI 持开放态度，前提是其必须体现切罗基价值观并保护部落身份。切罗基民族据此颁布了新兴技术行政令，并基于 21 项神圣社区价值观确立了三大核心准则：第一，倡导公民在各领域掌握过硬技能并具备应变力（Resourcefulness），以 AI 作为应对网络安全等挑战的力量倍增器；第二，践行“如母亲护子般珍惜彼此存在”的关怀理念（即“母性 AI”），坚守绝对的数据主权，明确凡涉及部落公民且由部落收集的数据，无论存储于保留地外的服务器还是云端，所有权均百分之百归属切罗基民族；第三，以温和审慎的方式引导劳动力技术转型，提升雇员技能以承担更高价值职责。规模化服务：Gadugi门户突破服务瓶颈 (8:53) 为了在有限的技术人力下服务庞大的人口，切罗基民族于 2021 年推出了旗舰数字化服务平台“Gadugi 门户”（Gadugi 意为“同心协力”）。该平台最初作为疫情后的数字化拓展项目，内置了协助评估直接救济资格的 AI 组件，上线首小时便承受了每分钟 500 次登录的高峰，一小时内完成了逾 3 万名用户的注册，迄今已服务约 39 万名无需前往政府办公驻地的切罗基公民。这种数字化与 AI 辅助审批机制显著放大了公共福利的普惠广度。在年度返校服装援助项目中，传统的纸质人工申报受制于人力极限，每年仅能服务约 5,000 名儿童；而在切换至 Gadugi 门户的自动化数字申报与 AI 资格辅助评估后，受助儿童人数激增至 28,000 名。在管理人员零增加的前提下，净新增覆盖了 23,000 名急需援助的儿童。Starr 认为，这种在不增加行政负担的同时成倍放大民生效益的成果，正是部落主权和公民福祉层面最真实的投资回报率。此外，正在重构的 Cherokee.gov 官网也通过 AI 推荐路径，主动打破信息不对称，动态引导公民获取相互关联的一揽子综合援助方案。应对复杂法域：MIT法律智能体破局司法检索 (10:55) 在部落司法实践中，法律检索体系具有异乎寻常的复杂性。由于切罗基民族是地处后设立州境内的具主权部落，其法律研究必须同时跨越联邦法、条约法、州管辖权和部落法。尤其是 2020 年美国联邦最高法院在“麦格特诉俄克拉荷马州案”（McGirt v. Oklahoma）中作出里程碑式判决，重申了部落对保留地边界的主权并承认了其刑事与民事管辖权，致使切罗基民族地区法院的案卷数量瞬间暴增。法学研究中的另一大痛点在于法律事实“单一真实来源”的确定。切罗基部落法典厚达 1,788 页，但立法机构频繁通过的修正案往往独立建档，并未及时合并入法典正文中，极易导致法律工作者将未修订的原法典误认作最新版本；此外还叠加了首席酋长的行政命令及切罗基民族最高法院的既往判例。为此，切罗基 IT 部门与麻省理工学院（MIT）及实习生团队合作，开发了专用的法律 AI 智能体。该系统能够将上述高度碎片化、分散存储的多层级法律渊源统一整合至单一检索环境中，辅助法官与部落律师精确查阅权威法条，解决了依靠人工难以完成的复杂文献检索工程。技艺与传统：3D打印生态替代与流程自动化 (13:50) 切罗基民族将 AI 定位为解放人力去进行更高阶共情沟通的辅助工具，其应用不仅体现在数字政务，更延伸至文化保护与日常行政。在切罗基语言全浸润式学校中，传统踏脚舞（stomp dance）是重要的文化仪轨，舞者腿上需绑缚装有摇铃的龟壳产生节奏声响。然而，装备众多成长中的学童传统上需要捕杀大量陆龟，这既面临野生动物保护压力，也触动了“若陆龟停止歌唱，吾族将不再成其为族群”的深层精神信仰。IT 部门利用商业移动端 AI 扫描软件对真实龟壳进行高精度 3D 建模，并通过 3D 打印技术制造出合成仿制壳。测试表明，该仿制壳填充摇铃后在视觉外观与声学共鸣上均能媲美天然龟壳，在兼顾文化传承的同时实现了生态保护。在日常行政中，面对首席酋长要求各部门限期提交纸张缩减策略报告的行政令，IT 部门利用 Microsoft Copilot 展开了流程协作：通过与各部门主管进行为期一小时的 Microsoft Teams 访谈，Copilot 全程记录并梳理工作流；随后借助精准设计的提示词模板，在会议结束仅 10 分钟内便自动生成符合酋长办公室格式要求的完整战略减纸报告，不仅打消了员工对共享打印泄露公民隐私的顾虑，亦彻底消解了行政汇报的繁琐负担。切罗基民族的探索表明，当技术应用紧密锚定在部落主权、数据自主与深厚文化价值观之中时，前沿 AI 能够有效缓解极端受限的人力资源压力并成倍放大公共服务半径。然而，从高度专业化的跨层级法律智能体到全面的保留地商业普及，技术在保障数据绝对归属部落的前提下，如何长期维持高水准维护并应对跨司法管辖区的技术依赖，仍是未来深化推进中需持续探索的课题。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 本视频由 Ai4 于 2025 年 8 月 27 日发布在 YouTube 平台上。视频记录了切罗基国家政府首席信息官（CIO）Paula Starr 的演讲，探讨切罗基国家如何重新定义 AI 技术的投资回报率（ROI），并利用 AI 提升行政效率、连接公民资源以及保护民族文化遗产。 ## TL;DR 切罗基国家将 AI 视为维护部落主权与文化认同的关键工具，而非单纯追求财务收益的技术。面对仅有 59 人的 IT 团队和广阔的保护区，切罗基人结合传统价值观（如资源利用、数据主权与社区关怀），成功上线了服务近 39 万人的 Gadooi 门户，并开发出应对繁复法规的法律 AI 智能体。此外，他们还巧妙运用 AI 3D 打印扫描技术制作龟壳响板以保护野生动物，并通过 Copilot 等工具重塑无纸化行政工作流与推动保留区创新。 ## Atmosphere & style 演讲氛围真挚、稳健且充满民族自豪感。Paula Starr 以切罗基传统问候语切入，将历史上的灾难与韧性与现代新兴技术紧密结合，展现出一种既尊重传统又拥抱未来的从容态度。整体叙述风趣而睿智，既有政策与技术的严谨分享，也有轻松温馨的花絮，令人真切体会到切罗基民族在技术浪潮中坚守文化根基的温情与力量。 ## Key takeaways - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) 切罗基国家的投资回报率（ROI）评估标准并非单纯的财务收益，而是以维护与推进部落的主权（Sovereignty）为核心。 - [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) 切罗基国家拥有近48万名联邦注册公民与7000平方英里保护区，但IT部门仅有59名员工，需极其高效地调配资源。 - [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) 部落颁布了关于新兴技术的行政命令，并基于传统切罗基价值观确立了指导AI部署的三大核心准则。 - [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) 切罗基国家强调数据主权（Data Sovereignty），坚持所有关于部落的数据均属于切罗基，不受物理服务器托管位置限制。 - [08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) Gadooi数字化门户与AI审核的引入大幅提升了外展效率，使返校服装补助覆盖儿童数从纸质时代的5,000人剧增至28,000人。 - [08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) 与MIT团队合作研发的法律AI智能体整合了散落的法典、修正案与判例，有效应对了McGirt裁决后爆炸式增长的司法案件需求。 - [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) 结合商业AI扫描与3D打印技术制作顿足舞龟壳响板替代品，在完美传承传统文化的同时保护了野生陆龟生态。 - [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) 活用Microsoft Copilot等生成式AI工具，大幅缩短会议记录与行政报告的生成时间，推动了无纸化办公与跨部门协同。 - [18:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1110s) 切罗基国家IT部门从传统技术支持转型为战略参与者，通过筹划创新峰会推动整个保护区内的商业活力与经济韧性。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) 重新定义 ROI：主权维护与切罗基部落现状演讲者切罗基国家政府首席信息官（CIO）Paula Starr 首先向大家致以切罗基语问候“Osiyo”（听写误作 Theo）。她指出，这场关于投资回报率（ROI）的专题讨论对部落政府而言具有完全不同的视角。不同于传统商业对财务收益的追逐，切罗基国家及其他部落政府评估 ROI 的核心在于“主权（Sovereignty）的维护与推进”——这是整个部落身份认同与生存的根基。因此，AI 被视为关乎部落未来的关键工具，而非单纯的技术补充。为了让听众更好地理解背景，Starr 介绍了切罗基国家的历史与现状。多数人在历史课本中仅通过“眼泪之路”（Trail of Tears）了解切罗基人，但如今切罗基国家已是全美最大的联邦承认部落，拥有近 48 万名公民，且公民数量增长迅猛。过去十年间，每年有约 1.6 万名未曾登记的后裔重新注册，而技术的普及与数字化外展正是推动这一增长的核心力量。切罗基的保护区覆盖俄克拉荷马州东北部 7,000 平方英里，总部设在泰勒夸（Tahlequah）。 <Image alt="Cherokee Nation Seal" caption="切罗基国家官方印章与标志" src="image_agent_tag_1663733086600098238"/> 在这庞大的地理与人口规模背后，Starr 特别强调了一个关键数字：**59**——这正是她旗下 IT 部门的总人数。这仅仅 59 人的团队需要全面支持 7,000 平方英里保护区内的所有设施与数字化需求，同时还要应对新兴技术的挑战，确保在维护现有基础设施（“维持运营”）的同时跟上技术变革。从治理架构来看，切罗基国家政府的运作模式类似于联邦政府，拥有完整的行政（酋长及办公室）、立法（部落议会）与司法（地区法院及切罗基国家最高法院）三权分立体系，并提供涵盖人力服务、商务、就业服务、执法以及教育等全套公共服务（包括一所服务 44 个不同部落学生的高中）。 - **公民规模**：近 480,000 名联邦注册公民，近 10 年每年新增约 16,000 人。 - **保护区面积**：俄克拉荷马州东北部 7,000 平方英里，总部位于泰勒夸（Tahlequah）。 - **IT 团队规模**：仅有 59 名 IT 人员，承担整个部落的数字化建设与运维。 ### [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) 历史韧性与面对新兴技术的部落价值观回顾历史，1839 年不仅是切罗基宪法颁布的年份，也标志着 1838–1839 年强迫迁徙（眼泪之路）的终结。在这场极其惨烈的迁徙中，四分之一的切罗基人口在从美国东南部迁往俄克拉荷马印第安领地的途中丧生。然而，在此之前，切罗基国家已非常强盛：拥有成熟的法院系统，切罗基语识字率达到 90%（当时全球最高），设有铁匠铺甚至庄园。Starr 分享了切罗基首席 John Ross 的亲身遭遇：他在华盛顿特区为阻止强迫迁徙而奔走，回到家中时却发现房子已被陌生白人家庭占领，不仅再也未能收回家产，甚至还收到一份要求他支付将马匹放入自己所建马厩费用的账单。尽管遭受如此重创，切罗基人在被强迫迁徙至俄克拉荷马后仅仅 12 年（1851 年），就建立起了部落的第一所大学（Cherokee National Female Seminary）。这种在毁灭性打击后 12 年内重新建立教育体系的韧性，正是 Starr 和切罗基人不恐惧 AI 的原因。切罗基人自古以来就知道如何根据环境进行战略转型，AI 不是值得害怕的技术，而是提升自我、维护部落主权所必须利用的工具。切罗基国家规定，AI 的应用必须服务于集体利益，并符合切罗基价值观。在近期对传统派公民进行的一项调查中发现，虽然 74% 的公民对 AI 仅有最基础的了解，但高达 70% 的人对使用 AI 持开放态度，前提是它能够巩固而非削弱部落的文化身份与价值观。 <Image alt="Tahlequah Oklahoma Cherokee Nation complex" caption="位于俄克拉荷马州泰勒夸的切罗基国家政府建筑群" src="image_agent_tag_1663733086600099733"/> 为了将文化传承融入技术革新，切罗基国家颁布了关于新兴技术（Emerging Tech）的行政命令（据信是全美首个出台此类政令的部落），并成立专责小组研究符合文化的 AI 部署方案。他们将 21 项切罗基神圣社区价值观精简提炼为指导 AI 应用的三大核心准则： 1. **“在生活的各个领域精通且富有资源（Resourceful）”**：以仅 59 人的团队服务庞大人口，必须极具创新与资源调配能力。例如在网络安全领域借助 AI 应对无休止的威胁。此外，IT 部门 90% 的员工为切罗基公民，践行技能提升与内部赋能。核心信念在于：“新技术是让我们变得更好，而不是取代我们。” 2. **“像母亲保护孩子一样珍视彼此的存在”**：Starr 将其称为“母性 AI（Maternal AI）”，重点在于保护公民隐私与**数据主权（Data Sovereignty）**。部落强调：“只要是关于我们的数据，就是我们收集并拥有的，无论它托管在保护区外的哪台服务器上，所有权始终属于切罗基。” 3. **“以温和与体贴的方式相互鼓励与引导”**：确保整个保护区共同步入 AI 时代。随着技术变革导致现有岗位形态改变，政府必须提前布局，帮助可能受到岗位冲击的公民完成职业转型。 --- ``` 切罗基国家 AI 部署核心价值观 │ ┌──────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┐ ▼ ▼ ▼ 【资源整合与高效】【数据主权与保护】【温和关怀与转型】 · 59人IT团队高效运转 · 像母亲般保护公民隐私 · 带动整个保护区包容发展 · 赋能切罗基本土人才 · 确立数据绝对所有权 · 帮助受AI影响岗位转型 · 工具辅助而非取代人 · 不受服务器物理位置限制 · 践行体贴引导的教育理念 ``` --- ### [08:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=533s) AI 实践应用案例：Gadooi 门户与法律大模型智能体在应用实践方面，Starr 分享了一系列极具借鉴意义的实际案例。首先是 2021 年疫情后推出的 **Gadooi 门户**（Gadooi 在切罗基语中意为“共同努力”，既是词汇也是核心价值观）。作为切罗基国家首次大规模数字外展尝试，该门户嵌入了 AI 用于资格审查，并率先推出了每人 2,000 美元的疫情援助金申请。在没有历史数字数据可参考的情况下，上线首个小时即涌入 3 万名公民（峰值达每分钟 500 人）。至今，已有约 39 万名公民使用过该门户，极大地降低了居民前往总部办事处的外出成本。随后推出的“返校服装补助计划”更突显了数字化的威力。以往由人力服务部门通过纸质流程办理，每年仅能覆盖约 5,000 名儿童；而在接入 Gadooi 门户第一年，服务儿童数量跃升至 **28,000 名**。在未增加额外行政人力的前提下，多帮扶了 2.3 万名真正有需要的孩子。另一个突破性项目是今年夏天与麻省理工学院（MIT）实习生团队合作研发的**法律 AI 智能体（Legal Agent）**。由于切罗基国家的法律环境极其复杂，重叠交织着联邦法、条约法、州法以及长达 1,788 页的部落法典（Tribal Code），再加上立法机关未及时编入法典的修正案、首席行政命令以及最高法院判例，法律检索难度极大。特别是 2020 年美国最高法院对 *McGirt v. Oklahoma* 案作出里程碑式裁决，重新确立了部落对其土地的刑事管辖权后，切罗基地区法院的案件数量呈爆炸式增长。该法律 AI 智能体将散落于各处的法律源整合至单一检索界面，确保法律工作者每次都能准确获取最新版本的法律依据。 - **Gadooi 门户**：上线首小时 30,000 人登录，至今累计服务 390,000 名公民；返校服装补助覆盖人数由纸质时代的 5,000 人激增至 28,000 人。 - **法律 AI 智能体**：整合 1,788 页部落法典、最新修正案、行政命令及最高法院判例，应对 *McGirt v. Oklahoma* 裁决后剧增的司法案件需求。 ### [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) 文化保存与工作流革新：3D 打印龟壳与 CoPilot 实践除了政务与司法，AI 还深入到了切罗基的文化保护与教育领域。切罗基国家设有从婴儿期一直培养至高中的切罗基语沉浸式学校（Immersion School），校内所有标识甚至网络配线柜均采用切罗基语书写。在传承顿足舞（Stomp Dance）这一传统舞蹈时，舞者需在腿上绑系由石头和瓶盖填充的陆龟壳组作为响板。然而，为教学需求大量杀害陆龟与切罗基人尊重自然、保护野生动物的信仰相违背——切罗基传统中有着“当陆龟停止歌唱，我们也将不再作为一个民族存在”的古老警示。为此，团队利用商业 AI 扫描技术精准捕捉龟壳结构，并进行 3D 打印制作替代品，既完美还原了声音与外观，又保护了生态与动物生命。此外，切罗基国家在推动内部工作流无纸化方面也探索出了独特经验。面对首席要求各部门出具无纸化与减少打印报告的行政命令，IT 部门没有强制摊派任务，而是利用 Microsoft Teams 中的 **Microsoft Copilot**，与各部门展开一小时的对话式调研。通过 Copilot 实时记录、提炼各业务部门的痛点与数字化诉求，当场生成报告初稿，既消除了业务部门撰写行政报告的负担，又高效推进了安全打印与数字化办公的落实。 - **3D 打印龟壳**：使用 AI 扫描技术建模并 3D 打印顿足舞龟壳响板，兼顾文化传承与野生动物保护。 - **Copilot 赋能减纸化**：通过 Teams Copilot 在 1 小时会议中自动整理各部门痛点并生成无纸化规划报告，极大减轻行政负担。 --- <ElicitationsGroup message="如果您想深入了解切罗基国家在 AI 与部落治理方面的更多细节，可以选择以下方向："> <Elicitation label="了解切罗基国家如何利用 RAG 与大模型技术构建法律 AI 智能体" query="请详细介绍切罗基国家与 MIT 合作开发的法律 AI 智能体的技术架构与 RAG 实现方式。"/> <Elicitation label="探讨主权数据与部落数据主权（Data Sovereignty）的最佳实践" query="什么是部落数据主权（Data Sovereignty）？切罗基国家在云端与 AI 时代是如何保护自身数据所有权的？"/> </ElicitationsGroup> ### [17:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1077s) 借助 AI 提升跨部门协作效率切罗基国（Cherokee Nation）的 IT 团队展示了 AI 如何重塑内部协作与工作流程。在一次长达一个小时的跨部门会议结束后，团队利用精雕细琢的 Prompt（提示词），指令 AI 按照酋长（Chief）所期望的特定结构与格式，在短短 10 分钟内便生成了完整的报告与行动计划，并直接呈报给酋长。这种高效的输出展示了生成式 AI 在简化行政繁琐流程中的巨大潜力。通过这种直观的方式，IT 部门成功吸引并打动了其他业务部门，向他们展示了只需开始采纳并应用现有的技术栈，工作就能变得多么轻松高效。这不仅大大降低了新技术在组织内部的推广阻力，也为跨部门的高效协同奠定了坚实的基础。 - **10分钟高效产出**：将原本耗时数小时的会后整理工作缩短至 10 分钟，快速生成符合领导层要求的结构化报告。 - **推动技术普及**：以实际案例向各部门证明，活用现有技术栈中的 AI 工具能极大提升日常办公效率。 ### [18:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1110s) 跨越部门边界：推动整片保留区的创新与商业发展除了关注内部员工与工作团队，切罗基国 IT 部门还将视野投向了整个切罗基保留区（Reservation）。虽然超越传统 IT 职责去推动全区范围的社会与经济发展在过去并不常见，但团队正积极跨出舒适区，深入参与并主导这一进程。目前，IT 团队正在筹划覆盖整片保留区的“创新峰会”（Innovation Summits），旨在将各个社区紧密联系在一起。通过这些峰会，切罗基国希望引入更多社区力量，共同探讨如何利用先进技术增强整个保留区内的商业活力与经济韧性，让技术红利惠及广大切罗基公民。 - **角色转变**：IT 部门的职能从传统的内部技术支持，拓展到推动全保留区社会与经济发展的战略参与者。 - **社区与商业赋能**：筹划创新峰会，凝聚社区力量，借助技术创新促进保留区内的商业繁荣与经济强韧。 ### [18:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1138s) 结语与致谢在演讲的尾声发生了一段轻松的小插曲，演讲者切罗基国首席信息官 Paula Starr 不小心将 PPT 按到了上一页，笑着打趣道：“Oh gosh, I'm going backwards.”（天哪，我按倒退了）。在收拾好幻灯片后，她用切罗基语“Wado”（意为“谢谢”）向现场所有听众表达了最真挚的感谢。她特别提到，在繁忙的日程中抽出 20 分钟是非常宝贵的，十分感激大家能够留下来聆听切罗基国在 AI 探索与文化传承方面的故事。 - **切罗基语致谢**：使用切罗基语“Wado”（谢谢）向全场听众表达感激，彰显文化自信与民族特色。 - **真诚谢意**：感谢听众倾听切罗基国如何利用 AI 改善公民福祉、推动科技与文化结合的探索历程。 ## Notable quotes > [00:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=4s) Osiyo — Paula Starr > [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) 只要是关于我们的数据，就是我们收集并拥有的，无论它托管在保护区外的哪台服务器上，所有权始终属于切罗基。 — Paula Starr > [03:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=193s) 新技术是让我们变得更好，而不是取代我们。 — Paula Starr > [13:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=785s) 当陆龟停止歌唱，我们也将不再作为一个民族存在 — Paula Starr > [18:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1138s) Oh gosh, I'm going backwards. — Paula Starr > [18:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc&t=1138s) Wado — Paula Starr ## Mentioned Paula Starr, Cherokee Nation, Ai4, John Ross, Gadooi 门户, MIT, McGirt v. Oklahoma, Cherokee National Female Seminary, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Copilot ## Video description Paula Starr, Chief Information Officer, Cherokee Nation Abstracts How do you measure the success for a technology that plays an important role in the future self-determination and sovereignty of the Cherokee Nation? In the Cherokee Nation, the stakes are higher when it comes to implementing AI. This technology is not just about efficiency; it's about connecting citizens to resources faster, adapting to external changes, and preserving cultural heritage. Attendees will learn how the Cherokee Nation measures the success of AI initiatives that impact self-determination and sovereignty. They will gain insights into the unique challenges and opportunities of using AI to enhance community resilience and cultural preservation. Join us to discover how AI can be a powerful tool for positive citizen outcomes and the future of the Cherokee Nation. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3qQmYdjYVc)

Source quotes

[0:04] Paula Starr: Osiyo [3:13] Paula Starr: 只要是关于我们的数据，就是我们收集并拥有的，无论它托管在保护区外的哪台服务器上，所有权始终属于切罗基。 [3:13] Paula Starr: 新技术是让我们变得更好，而不是取代我们。 [13:05] Paula Starr: 当陆龟停止歌唱，我们也将不再作为一个民族存在 [18:58] Paula Starr: Oh gosh, I'm going backwards. [18:58] Paula Starr: Wado

Source quotes

[0:04] Paula Starr: Siyo [5:25] Cherokee Citizen Study Participant: chipping away at who we are [6:58] Cherokee Cultural Tenet: live and be very skilled in all areas of life, and be resourceful [6:58] Paula Starr: New technologies make us better. They do not replace us. [6:58] Cherokee Cultural Tenet: be stingy with one another's existence like a mother with child [6:58] Geoffrey Hinton: maternal AI [6:58] Cherokee Cultural Tenet: encourage and instruct one another in a gentle and thoughtful way [8:53] Paula Starr: working together [10:55] Paula Starr: Legal agent, hm boring [13:05] Paula Starr: resource-rich [13:50] Cherokee Tradition: when the turtles stop singing, we cease to be a people. [15:54] Paula Starr: Wado

Original transcript

[0:04] Theo. Good morning. Uh, my name is Paula [0:06] Star. I'm the chief information officer [0:08] for Cherokee Nation Government. And [0:10] today I want to talk to you a little bit [0:11] about um the Cherokee Nation ethos. And [0:14] we'll also get into some use cases, ways [0:16] that we're actually deploying AI at [0:18] Cherokee Nation, how we're doing that. [0:21] Um, this session is actually an ROI [0:24] session, which is really interesting to [0:26] me because we look at ROI at Cherokee [0:28] Nation and across other tribal [0:30] governments in a totally different way. [0:32] Um, for us, it's not so much financial, [0:35] it's more about the maintenance and and [0:37] the pushing forward of sovereignty, um, [0:40] which is our whole identity and [0:42] existence. So, I see AI as being [0:44] something that is critical to our [0:46] future. [0:48] Um, so I can't start these sessions [0:50] without talking first a little bit about [0:51] Cherokee Nation. A lot of people are not [0:53] that familiar with us. Um, and that's [0:56] okay. Like I know in the history books [0:59] most of you have learned probably about [1:01] Trail of Tears and that's probably the [1:03] extent of what was covered. So we'll [1:05] talk a little bit about it. Um, we are [1:07] the largest federally recognized tribe [1:09] in the United States. We have almost [1:11] 480,000 citizens. Um, our growth is [1:15] really explosive. So we have citizens [1:18] who have long been descendants of [1:20] Cherokee citizens that were on the DOAW [1:22] roles, but for whatever reason they [1:24] never registered as citizens. And so for [1:26] the past 10 years, we've had about [1:28] 16,000 [1:30] um citiz uh per year citizen growth um [1:33] technology drives a lot of that. Making [1:36] it easier to connect with us, us making [1:38] outreach um really plays a part in being [1:42] able to drive up citizen numbers. Um, [1:45] our reservation covers 7,000 square [1:47] miles across northeastern Oklahoma. Our [1:50] headquarters is actually in Taloqua, [1:52] Oklahoma. Um, and we one number I don't [1:56] have up there that I really should have [1:58] is 59. And that is the number of people [2:00] in my IT department. So, when you start [2:04] thinking about supporting 480,000 [2:06] citizens digitally, you think about all [2:09] the facilities we have across those [2:10] 7,000 square miles, we're supporting all [2:13] of that. And we're also trying to figure [2:15] out how do we grapple with emerging [2:16] tech? How do we keep up while we keep um [2:20] the lights on basically? Um [2:23] when you think about Cherokee Nation [2:26] government, think about the federal [2:27] government. And we're basically like [2:29] another federal government, but we're on [2:31] the reservation. So we have those three [2:33] branches of gov. We've got um the [2:37] executive with our chief and his office. [2:39] We have the legislative with tribal [2:41] counsel. And then we also have judicial [2:44] uh with district courts and we also have [2:46] a Cherokee Nation Supreme Court. And [2:48] then you think of all the services that [2:50] go across federal government. We also [2:52] have many of those same services. So [2:54] human services, um commerce, [2:57] uh career services, we have law [3:00] enforcement across the res. We have um [3:03] education, we have a high school that we [3:04] run that serves, um that serves tribal [3:08] students of 44 different tribes. Um, so [3:10] it's quite extensive what we support. [3:13] And then finally, 1839 is a year that we [3:17] introduced our constitution. It's also [3:19] the year that you see the trail of tears [3:21] ending. The force removal is 1838 to [3:24] 1839. [3:26] And that is something that is I mean I I [3:29] think it was more horrific than people [3:31] realize. A quarter of the tribe perished [3:34] on that move from southeastern from the [3:36] southeastern US over to Indian territory [3:38] in Oklahoma. [3:40] Um but when you looked at those years [3:43] preceding the forced removal, Cherokee [3:46] Nation was very strong. It already had a [3:48] court system um in southeastern in the [3:50] southeastern US. The population was 90% [3:54] literate, could read and write in [3:56] Cherokee, which was the most literate [3:58] population in the world at the time. Um [4:01] they had towns and villages with [4:04] blacksmithing shops. They were very much [4:06] like their other southern neighbors. [4:09] even they even had plantations. Um it's [4:11] unfortunate to say, but they did. And so [4:14] when removal happened, you had people [4:16] being removed out of their homes [4:18] forcibly. Um our chief John Ross, he [4:21] went to DC to advocate on our behalf to [4:24] keep citizens from being moved. He comes [4:26] home, puts his horse in the stable, goes [4:28] into the house. His family is not in the [4:30] house anymore. It's a different family [4:32] he's never seen before. Um and he finds [4:34] out this home is no longer his. He never [4:37] got it back and he never got any kind of [4:41] um any funding or he never got any money [4:44] back on the house. In fact, he got hit [4:46] with a bill for putting his horse in the [4:48] stable he built by this new family that [4:51] was claiming it as their own. But the [4:54] fantastic thing I have to say is if you [4:56] look 11 12 years in the future, citizens [4:59] have been removed to Oklahoma. In 1851, [5:03] we opened our first tribal college. I [5:06] mean, think about that. Think about [5:07] losing a quarter of your population. [5:09] You're in a totally new territory. [5:11] You're starting from scratch and in 12 [5:14] years you're thinking about education. [5:16] Um, and that is why I don't look at AI [5:19] fearfully. We know how to pivot as [5:21] Cherokee people. We've done it our [5:23] entire history. [5:25] Um, and we look at AI as not something [5:28] to be scared of, but something else that [5:30] we can use to better ourselves, [5:33] something that we have to use if we want [5:35] to continue to remain sovereign. Um, so [5:38] we look at it and we say it's got to [5:40] serve the collective good and it's got [5:42] to uphold Cherokee values. We have to do [5:44] it our way and has to serve our [5:46] sovereignty. Our communications [5:49] department recently did a study um with [5:51] citizens and they focused on very [5:54] traditionalist citizens to see how they [5:57] felt about AI and they found that 74% of [6:01] them had a very very basic understanding [6:03] of AI. But the really positive thing was [6:06] 70% are very open to it. but they're [6:09] open to it if it includes our values, if [6:13] it upholds who we are instead of [6:15] chipping away at who we are. [6:19] And so that is why we look at how we [6:22] bring Cherokee community values into AI [6:25] deployments. Um, Cherokee, there's a set [6:28] of 21 Cherokee community values that are [6:30] sacred to us. Even with our own [6:32] government, we study these values. We [6:35] infuse them into everything that we put [6:37] out into the public. [6:39] and AI is no different. Um, we had an [6:42] executive order on emerging tech. I I [6:44] think we're still the only tribe who's [6:45] done that. Um, and we put together a [6:47] task force to study how we can deploy AI [6:51] in a way that is culturally aligned. And [6:52] we came up with three values that really [6:55] speak to our ethos. [6:58] This is the first one. This is live and [7:00] be very skilled in all areas of life. Be [7:02] resourceful. [7:04] We are incredibly resourceful people. [7:06] you do not um service that large [7:09] reservation and that large population I [7:11] talked about with 59 IT employees [7:13] without being resourceful. And we have [7:16] to use AI to continue to do so. Um and I [7:20] have to I'm going to throw this out [7:21] there too. 90% of my IT department is [7:23] Cherokee. We believe strongly in [7:25] uplifting Cherokee citizens and [7:27] upskilling them. Um but we know that we [7:31] have to be resourceful. We have to use [7:32] AI and cyber security. you know, cyber [7:35] security threats um are never ending and [7:37] with a small staff, you have to use [7:39] every tool you can. Um I think the key [7:43] thing here is new technologies make us [7:45] better. They do not replace us. We [7:48] believe that strongly. [7:51] Be stingy with one another's existence [7:53] like a mother with child. Jeffrey Hinton [7:55] yesterday, he said this maternal AI, [7:58] this is maternal AI. This is protecting [8:01] your citizens. This is uh protecting [8:04] their privacy, but it's also p [8:07] protecting our data sovereignty. [8:09] One of the things that we say is if it's [8:12] data about us, we collected it. We own [8:15] it. We don't care where it lives. We [8:17] don't care if it lives on a server [8:19] outside of our reservation. It's ours. [8:21] But we also have to be very mindful to [8:24] protect citizens privacy. [8:27] Encourage and instruct one another in a [8:29] gentle and thoughtful way. we have to [8:32] bring the whole reservation into this AI [8:35] revolution. We're working very hard [8:37] within the workforce right now um to to [8:40] adapt to it. But across the res, we have [8:43] to be ready and we have to be ready for [8:44] the way that jobs are changing. Many of [8:46] the jobs that are going away are jobs [8:48] that our citizens perform. So how do we [8:50] meet that moment? [8:53] And then to talk about some use cases, I [8:55] think there are some in here that that [8:57] might surprise you. Um the first one is [8:59] Gadooi portal. So, Gadooi is both a [9:02] Cherokee word and it's a Cherokee value [9:04] and it means working together. Um, this [9:07] is something that we launched back in [9:08] 2021. Um, very much a postcoid [9:13] um kind of development. Um, and it's [9:17] something that used some artificial [9:18] intelligence within it um to to make [9:22] eligibility determinations. But the key [9:25] thing here was again it was our first [9:27] real digital outreach. Um, we launched [9:30] CO 19 assistance in it. It was $2,000 [9:33] assistance to every citizen who was [9:35] impacted ne negatively by the pandemic. [9:39] We really didn't know um what kind of [9:41] uptake we would have. We never done [9:43] anything digitally. Um, and we just [9:46] didn't know how citizens were going to [9:47] react. We didn't have a lot of time to [9:48] figure out how they were they would [9:50] react. Um and so we put it out there and [9:54] in the first hour we had 500 citizens a [9:56] minute logging in. Um so 30,000 citizens [10:00] in that first hour. [10:02] Since then we've had uh around 390,000 [10:06] citizens use the portal which is a huge [10:07] number. Um so the hunger is there. The [10:10] desire to to be able to leverage [10:12] resources without having to travel all [10:14] the way into the complex in Taloqua [10:17] Oklahoma is definitely there. Um there [10:20] was another program that we launched [10:21] right after that and that was back to [10:23] school clothing assistance. We always [10:25] help our children who are in need with [10:27] their back to school clothing. Um and [10:30] the year before we launched it, it was [10:32] all done by paper by our human services [10:34] department. They served around 5,000 [10:36] kids. The first year we put this in the [10:38] portal, we served 28,000 kids. So, when [10:41] you talk about serving 23,000 more kids [10:43] who were in genuine need um without [10:46] having to add to your headcount with a [10:48] very uh limited ramp up time, it's just [10:52] it's mind-blowing, right? [10:55] Um this summer we worked on a legal [10:58] agent with our partners from MIT. We got [11:00] some that's the other thing about tribal [11:02] governments. A lot of this is hard to do [11:05] without partnership. So, we partnered [11:07] with MIT. Um, we had a terrific group of [11:10] interns work with us. And you may say, [11:12] "Legal agent, h boring." That's kind of [11:15] what I thought at first, too. Um, but [11:18] the law in Cherokee Nation is extremely [11:20] complicated because you are looking at [11:22] law across federal, state, and tribal. [11:25] We're a tribe existing within a state [11:27] that was set on top of us. Those things [11:29] get very complicated. So, when you're [11:32] researching a legal case, you are [11:34] looking at federal law through treaty [11:37] law. [11:38] You are looking at our tribal code. Our [11:40] tribal code is 1,788 pages long. You are [11:44] looking at amendments to tribal code [11:46] which our legisl legislative arm has put [11:49] through, but they don't always make sure [11:51] that that gets back into the tribal code [11:52] itself. Those things kind of exist in [11:54] two different spaces. Um, and so it's [11:58] very easy to miss something that was [12:00] amended later on and you think the [12:02] source of truth is tribal code and it's [12:04] not. [12:05] We also have executive orders from our [12:07] chief just like the president has [12:08] executive orders. And then we have [12:11] Cherokee Nation Supreme Court decisions [12:13] that create precedent. So as you're [12:15] researching a case and this has become [12:17] more important to us, especially in the [12:19] light of MGERT versus Oklahoma. That was [12:21] a Supreme Court decision back in 2020 [12:24] that asserted that we do have [12:26] sovereignty over our own lands, that we [12:28] do have sovereignty over law enforcement [12:30] on our lands, which made our cases in [12:33] our in our district court explode [12:36] overnight. It's important for us to get [12:39] the right version of the law every time. [12:42] And this agent pulls all of those [12:44] resources together into one place. It's [12:48] really gamechanging for us. Um, and it's [12:50] something that we never would have [12:52] gotten to without this technology. It [12:54] just would not have happened. It's [12:56] impossible to bring all those arms [12:57] together to work on a project like this [13:00] um collaboratively. [13:05] We are working right now to set up a new [13:08] website um called Cherokee.gov. [13:10] Um and we are building in citizen- [13:13] centric pathways that are augmented with [13:15] AI to make sure that citizens know about [13:18] services get connected to the correct [13:20] services at the correct time. We see [13:23] it's it's one of these things where [13:24] often um we are resourcerich [13:27] but it's hard to get the knowledge out [13:29] there to the people who need these [13:31] services the most. Um, we also see [13:34] citizens will come to us seeking one [13:36] service, [13:37] not realizing that there are five others [13:40] that could benefit them and could bring [13:43] take them on the path to [13:44] self-sufficiency. So, this is a way to [13:46] make those connections. [13:50] Um, and this one's really interesting. [13:53] Um, 3D turtle shells. So, I mentioned [13:56] that we have a high school earlier. We [13:58] also have an immersion school where [14:00] children are brought like they're [14:02] brought up from infancy into the school [14:05] um until they get to high school age. [14:07] And the school everything's taught in [14:09] Cherokee. You go to the building and [14:11] it's really fascinating because like all [14:12] the signages in Cherokee um including [14:15] the network closets which kind of makes [14:17] it hard sometimes to find your equipment [14:20] when you don't know cher how to read [14:21] Cherokee. Um, but you go into that [14:24] building and it's just Cherokee culture, [14:26] Cherokee language. And one of the things [14:29] that they teach the kids is how to stomp [14:31] dance. Now, a stomp dance is done, you [14:35] tie turtle shells to your legs. It's a [14:38] whole batch of turtle shells pull uh [14:41] tied together. Um, rocks and bottle caps [14:44] and things like that are put put inside [14:46] the shells to make them make this [14:47] wonderful sound when you dance. The [14:50] problem with it is when you're educating [14:51] a whole bunch of kids and there's many [14:54] turtle shells that go on each leg, that [14:57] means you have to kill a lot of turtles. [14:59] Um, and it's not it's not something that [15:01] anyone enjoys doing. There are blessings [15:04] done over the turtles, but it's still um [15:06] it's still like a heart-wrenching thing [15:08] to do is to take the turtle life. And of [15:10] course, wildlife preservation is is at [15:12] stake here as well. We have a story um [15:16] in Cherokee tradition that says um when [15:19] the turtles stop singing, we cease to be [15:21] a people. And so turtles are very sacred [15:24] to us. [15:26] And um what we did was we just took a [15:28] commercial AI app and scanned the turtle [15:31] shell. Um and then we started 3D [15:34] printing them. And so we've been using [15:36] those. Um they look and sound amazing. [15:40] Uh I wanted to show a video, but I [15:42] wasn't sure if our cultural folks would [15:44] be okay with it. Um, but it's it was one [15:47] of those things that's like so simple on [15:49] its face, but it means a lot to us. [15:54] Um, when we look at the AI ethos, I [15:56] mean, a AI is a tool. It's it's not a [15:59] replacement again of anything. And my [16:02] hope is that it helps us connect with [16:05] more citizens. It takes out the mundane. [16:07] We can connect with citizens. We can [16:09] have better conversations with them. [16:11] Um but we have to do you know all this [16:15] technology delivery um it has to be done [16:17] respectfully. It has to be done with [16:19] values in mind. Um and we're very aware [16:23] of that. [16:26] When we look ahead um we want more AI in [16:29] the workforce here. Here here's a [16:31] surprising one here. Again I'm going to [16:32] give you one that's real simple. Um [16:35] co-pilot and teams right? Like [16:37] everyone's familiar with co-pilot in [16:39] Microsoft Teams. We recently had an [16:42] executive order from our chief that said [16:44] um each department needs to get better [16:46] at paper and print reduction and I want [16:50] a report uh sent to me by the end of [16:52] next month telling me how you intend to [16:55] reduce your paper and print. Um and so [16:58] when that report went out, we in it like [17:01] cheered. We're like, "Oh my god, yes, we [17:03] we have backing. This is exciting." So [17:05] what we did was we reached out to all [17:07] the departments and we said we know you [17:10] don't want to write this report. Nobody [17:11] likes writing reports. We know you don't [17:13] want to make the plan. Nobody likes [17:15] making plans that that you know they [17:17] that were not part of their strategy, [17:19] right? Let us work with you to create [17:22] this report. So what we did was we [17:24] scheduled one-hour meetings with each [17:25] department. We turned on co-pilot um and [17:30] we just talked through where they were [17:32] in their journey, what they thought they [17:34] could digitize, [17:36] where they knew they had problems. We [17:38] talked about services that we had, [17:39] things that they didn't realize they [17:42] could already do, like secure printing. [17:43] Like everyone was like, "Oh my god, if I [17:45] print to this printer, everyone's going [17:46] to see my stuff." No, you you can do [17:48] secure printing today. You just don't [17:50] realize it. So, we would have those [17:51] meetings for an hour. At the end of it, [17:55] we took the co-pilot output. We had this [17:57] wonderful prompt built to say, "Create [18:00] us a report and a plan built to the [18:02] structure that chief wants of us." And [18:05] boom, within 10 minutes after the call, [18:08] hourong call, 10 minutes of work, we're [18:11] done. We have the report, we're sending [18:13] it to chief. [18:14] That's one way that AI can really help [18:17] us collaborate in ways that we never [18:19] thought about. Um, and that's for us it [18:22] was a great way to hook in the [18:23] departments and to say look how easy we [18:26] can make things if we just start [18:27] adopting the technology that we already [18:29] have in our stack. [18:30] Um, looking beyond the workforce, we [18:33] have to look across um, the reservation. [18:36] This is something we haven't done in it [18:38] before. It's not typically our role, but [18:40] we're diving in. And so we're working on [18:42] some concepts around um even innovation [18:45] summits that span the entirety of the [18:47] res to start talking about how we bring [18:49] our communities in and how we start to [18:52] strengthen commerce across um the [18:54] reservation. [18:58] Oh gosh, I'm going backwards. [19:01] Um and that's that's really all I have [19:03] for you today. Um I want to say wa [19:06] that's Cherokee for thank you. Um, I [19:09] really again I appreciate you all [19:10] spending time with me. Um, I I know um [19:14] 20 minutes is is really a precious [19:15] amount of time. So I thank you for being [19:18] here and hearing our story. Thank you.