Native Tribes Ban or Restrict Data-Center Projects Over Resource and Environmental Concerns

Tribal leaders across the United States are moving to limit hyperscale data-center construction on their lands, emphasizing concerns over electricity, water consumption and environmental damage. In Oklahoma, the Cheyenne and Arapaho approved a three-year ban, and the Cherokee Nation’s Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. enacted a prohibition after a task-force report revealed widespread citizen opposition. The Kickapoo Tribe’s Business Committee warned that such facilities clash with its long-term sustainability vision, while the Hualapai Tribe in Arizona placed a moratorium, stressing protection of land and water near the Colorado River.

Conversely, the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians in California partnered with Colusa Indian Energy and Strata Expanse to develop an AI and energy-infrastructure campus. These actions reflect a broader tribal effort to safeguard resources and assert control over large-scale technology projects.