ABSTRACT

Indigenous social and political capital can now be built by creating international awareness of indigenous issues through the internet. Local and national governments may thereby make changes in policy which impact cultural heritage in indigenous communities. The Native Hawaiians are building on a legacy of international indigenous activism and empowerment through technology, a movement Valerie Alia calls the "New Media Nation". She claims this movement exists outside of all state borders, and "enables its creators and users to network and engage in transcultural and transnational lobbying, and access information that might otherwise be inaccessible within state borders". The internet has fundamentally changed indigenous lives. Employing multiple forms of indigenous media, indigenous communities have created newfound opportunities for education, communication, news dissemination, political involvement, and cultural documentation. Information is spread worldwide about indigenous cultures and traditions, concerns, and goals. Scholars document serious internal dilemmas within indigenous communities in the development of indigenous media.