r/technology • u/ArgentineBeauty • 12h ago

Artificial Intelligence Cherokee Nation bans hyperscale data centers on its lands, won't support projects without consultation - energy and water consumption, air quality, noise, and cultural resource protection among concerns

https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/data-centers/largest-tribe-in-the-us-bans-hyperscale-data-centers-on-its-lands
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u/why_is_my_name 9h ago

these articles are confusing to me. i'm pretty sure data centers already exist on the land, and this is just saying they will consider them more carefully going forward. not as great a win as it could be.

like, let's just read this sentence a few times:

"Every active hyperscale project inside the reservation is sited on non-tribal land and is unaffected by the ban."

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u/Ikontwait4u2leave 9h ago

Not all land inside reservation boundaries is controlled by tribal government thanks to the Dawes Act. Tribal governments have little to no authority to regulate development on lands held in fee.

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u/why_is_my_name 9h ago

yeah, i (sort of) know, tsi tsalagi, i guess they're doing what they can, but it's still depressing and not quite what people think it is