Data Is the New Oil — Why Cherokee Citizens Deserve a Digital Resource Dividend

Data Is the New Oil — Why Cherokee Citizens Deserve a Digital Resource Dividend

Across the world, a new kind of resource boom is underway. The 20th century was powered by oil, minerals, and timber. The 21st century is being powered by data. Massive artificial intelligence infrastructure and hyperscale data centers are spreading across the United States as companies race to build the computational backbone of the digital age.

These facilities consume enormous amounts of electricity, land, water, and fiber infrastructure. They generate billions of dollars in revenue each year while storing, processing, and training the algorithms that power the modern economy.

In many ways, these data centers are the oil wells of our time.

If this new digital resource boom comes to the lands of the Cherokee people, then it is reasonable to ask a simple question: Should Cherokee citizens share in the prosperity created from infrastructure built on our land?

The answer should be yes.

A Digital Resource Dividend

The Cherokee Nation has long demonstrated strong governance and economic leadership. As new industries look toward northeastern Oklahoma for development, there is an opportunity to establish a forward-thinking policy that protects the interests of Cherokee citizens for generations to come.

If large artificial intelligence data centers are built within Cherokee jurisdiction or on Cherokee lands, the Nation should consider establishing a Digital Resource Dividend.

This would function similarly to the model used in Alaska. The state of Alaska created the Alaska Permanent Fund to ensure that oil wealth benefits every resident. Revenue from natural resources is placed into a long-term investment fund, and annual dividends are distributed to residents.

A similar model could be created for digital infrastructure.

Under this concept:

• Large-scale data infrastructure operating within Cherokee jurisdiction would contribute a negotiated royalty or revenue share.
• Those revenues would be placed into a sovereign Cherokee Digital Resource Fund.
• Each year, Cherokee households would receive a dividend payment.

A Fair Share of the Digital Economy

A proposed revenue share of approximately 25 percent from qualifying digital infrastructure projects would reflect the scale of the value created by these facilities and the importance of the land, infrastructure, and sovereignty that make them possible.

Data centers rely on several critical local resources:

• Land and long-term site stability
• Reliable electrical power infrastructure
• Water resources for cooling systems
• Fiber optic connectivity
• Regulatory and governmental stability

These are not abstract resources. They are physical and institutional assets rooted in the communities where these facilities operate.

If companies profit from these resources, it is reasonable that the people whose homeland supports these operations share in the benefits.

Protecting the Most Vulnerable

The purpose of such a dividend would not be to replace existing programs or reduce support for those in need. Quite the opposite.

The Cherokee Digital Resource Dividend should be structured so that:

• Payments are made annually per household.
• Distributions are tax-free under tribal law where possible.
• The dividend does not count against Social Security benefits for seniors.
• Disabled citizens receiving federal assistance are protected.
• Low-income households receiving needed support programs are not penalized.

This dividend should strengthen Cherokee families, not jeopardize their stability.

The goal is simple: lift people up.

Investing in the Future

A Digital Resource Fund would also provide long-term stability for the Cherokee Nation. By investing a portion of revenues for future generations, the Nation could build a powerful sovereign wealth fund that supports education, infrastructure, healthcare, and cultural preservation for decades to come.

The digital economy will shape the next century. Nations that recognize the value of their resources early will secure prosperity for their people.

The Cherokee people have always adapted with wisdom and resilience. This moment offers an opportunity to ensure that the digital age benefits not only corporations, but also the citizens whose land and communities support this new infrastructure.

If data is the oil of the 21st century, then the people of the Cherokee Nation deserve their share of the wealth it creates.

The digital boom is coming. Now is the time to ensure it lifts our people with it.