This research will examine the emerging uses of computer-mediated communication technologies by American Indians and the subsequent cultural changes associated with them. The researcher will study two on-line communities which have been identified as having significant American Indian populations; the Electronic Native American Network (ENAN) and NATIVEnet. ENAN is an on-line computer network which serves Indian children and tribal educators from across the United States. Funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, ENAN resides on a desk-top computer at the University of New Mexico and is accessed by four toll free telephone lines. NATIVEnet is a "news-group" (list-serv) residing on the NSF-funded INTERNET. It connects American Indians and scholars interested in indigenous issues from around the world. These two networks will be studied using theorems from convergence and network theory which have a bearing on intercultural communication and cultural change. Techniques used in data collection will include the experimental construction of sociograms of the networked interpersonal relationships, content analysis of several years of on-line discussions, and ethnographic data derived from participant observation. Results will contribute to the development of network theory, as applied to intercultural computer-mediated communication, and to understanding the relationships of information and network social policy to cultural change. Results will be disseminated to relevant Indian organizations, tribal leaders, and appropriate scientific journals.
