Radio Shop Chat: Spectrum Rights: What they are and why they’re important

SpectrumX invites you to our next Radio Shop Chat: Presented by Darrah Blackwater, Founder and CEO, Blackwater Consulting.

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Registration is free and required.

Darrah Blackwater, Blackwater Consulting

Abstract: This talk will explore Indigenous rights to spectrum, the rights of Indigenous communities to access and manage radio frequencies critical for communication, self-governance, and Indigenous lifeways. Spectrum access is vital for tribes, and Indigenous rights to spectrum are based on the unique political status of tribes, rooted in trust and treaty obligations that require the federal government to honor tribal sovereignty and support self-determination. Recognition of these rights can ensure equitable access to communication resources and can create a more just and inclusive spectrum policy for Indigenous communities.

Biography: Darrah Blackwater is the founder and CEO of Blackwater Consulting, a law and consulting firm in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Darrah is an attorney and conceptual artist focusing on telecommunications law and Indigenous issues. She has focused on the issue of spectrum rights in rural and Indigenous communities since 2018, with the intention of closing the digital divide.

The SpectrumX Radio Shop Chats are a collegial debate on the pressing issues and optimal model for managing spectrum, as a complex interplay among technology, economics, law, and policy. All Radio Shop Chats are held under the Chatham House Rule.