When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, digital connections were indispensable — for education, social interactions, telemedicine, business continuity and so much more.

But in places where connectivity is limited, the challenges and tragedies of the pandemic were only heightened. This was especially true in Native American communities across America, where infection rates soared, economic opportunity fell, and, for many, isolation deepened.

In this podcast, Cisco TechBeat host Kevin Delaney speaks with Traci Morris, Director of the American Indian Policy Institute (https://aipi.asu.edu/) at Arizona State University. A proud member of the Chickasaw Nation, Dr. Morris has studied the impact of the digital divide in Indian country.

Additional insights come from Emma Broadbent, of Cisco’s Networking Academy (https://www.netacad.com/), about her efforts to build tech skills among the indigenous peoples of Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea.

Together, they provide some real-world solutions that will help to unleash the creativity, wisdom, and entrepreneurial spirit of indigenous communities around the world.