TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. signed the tribe’s first artificial intelligence policy during a Cherokee Nation Employee Technology Summit on Thursday, Aug. 21, marking a historic milestone in the Nation’s approach to emerging technologies while vowing to safeguard the Cherokee language and culture.
The comprehensive AI policy establishes new guidelines for responsible and ethical AI use across all Cherokee Nation departments and operations. The AI policy also outlines specific approved uses for artificial intelligence, including summarizing publicly available information, brainstorming initiatives, creating communication drafts, and developing code.
However, it strictly prohibits AI use without quality review measures and mandates that any AI applications involving the Cherokee language must receive backing and incorporation from Cherokee fluent speakers.
“As Cherokee people we were not meant to fall behind but were meant to be the people who surged ahead. AI is the future and Cherokee Nation is working to embrace that future, but not at the expense of our language and culture. We must implement policies, have oversight of AI use, be transparent with our citizens and not jeopardize our language or culture in the process,” Chief Hoskin said. “When it comes to our precious language, Cherokee speakers must always be at the helm of any decisions of AI use involving the Cherokee language that would help perpetuate learning or preserve our spoken language.”
A study of Cherokee citizens’ knowledge and attitudes toward AI use by the tribe revealed that 74 percent of Cherokee Nation citizen participants were unfamiliar with AI or possessed only a surface-level understanding, highlighting the critical need for AI literacy programs, particularly among elders whose roles in cultural and language preservation are paramount.
In the past year Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner also launched a task force on Data Sovereignty, which included studying emerging technologies such as AI. The task force’s work helped draft recommendations for the policy.
The tribe has cautiously begun implementing AI technologies in various departments, such as for grants research or Gadugi Portal projects, partnerships with MIT interns to build legal agents, and the launch of an AI agent for the tribe’s new Cherokee.gov website to be released this fall.
The tribe’s Communications department also spent a year working with a secure, closed-source AI model to build its own knowledge base and cultural branding voice that can help draft tribal news and social media content ideas with trained employee prompting, while other innovative projects include AI scanning to create 3D printed turtle shells for stomp dances versus using turtles.
Deputy Chief Bryan Warner praised the AI Policy as responsible implementation and a way to maintain trust of Cherokee citizens as new technologies in the workplace emerge.
“This AI Policy will keep our exploration of AI within our reach and ensure it’s used the right way and that our citizens are informed,” Deputy Chief Warner said. “New technology can cause fear and mistrust among all of us, especially to tribes that have face understandable historical mistrust, so we must be cautious and responsible as we venture into AI to help with work efficiency.”
The policy also establishes an AI governance committee that will approve, prohibit, or set limitations for proposed AI tools and use cases. The committee ensures all AI implementations align with Cherokee Nation values and maintain strict oversight by employees equipped to understand cultural communities, language and values.
“Cherokee Nation’s approach to the use of artificial intelligence is that it should be used only when it is secure, responsible, and assists us in our efforts to more efficiently serve the Cherokee people,” said Chief of Staff Corey Bunch. “AI has the ability, in many instances, to cut down on time-consuming tasks, which in turn will allow our staff to focus on more important service for the Cherokee people.”
Hundreds of Cherokee Nation employees attended the tribe’s technology summit held at Chota Center in Tahlequah Aug. 21, where informational sessions on AI literacy, responsible use and practices and demonstrations of closed source AI were held.
For more information on the tribe’s AI Policy, click here.
“We’re excited about the power of AI to help us solve long-standing challenges in new ways. But we’re approaching this moment with care,” said Paula Starr, Chief Information officer. “Our commitment is to use these tools judiciously, with strong safeguards, and always in a way that reflects who we are as Cherokee people—guided by our values, our sovereignty, and our responsibility to future generations.”