Damon Clark

AI in the Arizona Borderlands: Indigenous Futures, Rights & Realities

Damon's project will produce a public-facing symposium or keynote conversation examining how 
artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping environmental stewardship, cultural rights, border governance, 
and legal decision-making in the Southwest. For tribal nations whose homelands, waters, and 
communities intersect the Arizona–Mexico borderlands, AI raises urgent questions about sovereignty, 
cultural protection, ecological futures, and human rights. The University of Arizona is uniquely 
positioned to lead this conversation, drawing upon strengths in the American Indian Studies program, 
the Native Nations Institute, and the Indigenous Peoples Law & Policy Program.
 

The event will center on Indigenous and borderlands perspectives through four interconnected themes:
1. Water, Land, and Environmental Futures. AI tools such as groundwater modeling, drought prediction, 
and environmental monitoring are increasingly central to land and water stewardship. Prospective 
speakers include Dr. Karletta Chief (Diné) and Professor Heather Whiteman Runs Him (Apsáalooke/Crow), 
who can explore how AI supports or threatens tribal authority over water, mining impacts, and climate 
adaptation.

2. Intellectual Property & Cultural Protection. Generative AI models frequently scrape Indigenous art, 
language, and cultural materials from borderlands regions. Speakers such as Professor Trevor Reed (Hopi) 
or Professor Rebecca Tsosie could address cultural rights, authorship, and opportunities for ethical use of 
AI in language revitalization, archiving, and creative practice.

3. Border Governance, Surveillance & Human Rights. Arizona’s borderlands are heavily surveilled, using 
AI-driven detection, biometrics, and automated enforcement. Prospective contributors include UArizona 
Immigration Law faculty, the Rio Yaqui Law & Policy Clinic, and scholars working with Tohono O’odham 
communities. This session will examine how AI affects jurisdiction, mobility, privacy, and Indigenous homeland
relationships.

4. Opportunities, Innovation & Community-Led Futures. Beyond risks, AI presents possibilities in environmental 
planning, education, legal research, and governance. UA faculty in intellectual property and technology law, 
along with the Native Nations Institute, can discuss pathways for community-driven AI governance that respect 
tribal values and decision-making.

Each session will be moderated by Indigenous law students to ensure community-grounded framing. The event 
will produce two tangible deliverables:
1. A publicly accessible recording of the symposium or keynote, and
2. A concise written summary of key insights and themes.

This project strengthens Indigenous-led exploration of AI at UArizona, fostering interdisciplinary engagement 
between law, American Indian Studies, border studies, and community governance. As President of NILSA, Native 
and Indigenous law Students Association, organizing this event expands Damon academic focus on Indigenous 
governance and technology while creating a lasting resource for students, tribal leaders, and borderlands 
communities.