Building Digital Sovereignty: How CATG Took Control of Their Technology Infrastructure to Better Serve Gwich'in and Upper Koyukon Communities
Results at a Glance
About Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG)
The Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG) serves Gwich’in and Upper Koyukon communities across the Yukon Flats of interior Alaska—villages accessible primarily by small aircraft and spanning hundreds of miles north of the Arctic Circle. As a comprehensive tribal government organization, CATG operates essential programs across healthcare, natural resources, education, and cultural preservation.
When someone is injured in Fort Yukon, they don’t call 911. They call the Yukon Flats Health Center, operated by CATG. As the only emergency medical provider across these communities, CATG coordinates everything from primary care to emergency medical evacuations to trauma centers in Fairbanks. Operating clinics in Fort Yukon, Beaver, Venetie, and Arctic Village, CATG provides essential medical care in one of the most remote regions of the United States.
Beyond healthcare, CATG’s Natural Resources Department engages in active land management, environmental protection, and indigenous research—documenting traditional land use areas, participating in regulatory processes to protect customary practices, managing fire services, and creating economic opportunities through sustainable land use. Their Education Department provides Early Headstart programs and supports tribal members pursuing higher education, offering lifelong learning opportunities that promote individual, family, and community wellness.
At the heart of all CATG’s work is the preservation and strengthening of Gwich’in and Upper Koyukon cultures and languages. From language preservation efforts that honor the distinct dialects spoken across each village to the protection of traditional knowledge and practices, CATG serves as a steward of cultural identity for the communities they serve. For thousands of Alaska Native citizens, CATG isn’t just a service provider—it’s the organizational embodiment of their commitment to self-determination and cultural survival.
The Challenge
In 2024, CATG’s leadership recognized an opportunity to fundamentally transform how technology served their communities. Under the direction of Executive Director Dorothea Adams and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the organization set out to build something new: a technology infrastructure that CATG truly owned and controlled.
The challenge wasn’t unique to CATG. Across rural Alaska and throughout tribal lands in the Lower 48, healthcare providers face a common problem: dependence on distant telecommunications vendors who don’t understand the communities they serve, can’t respond quickly when clinical systems fail, and don’t give organizations meaningful control over their own infrastructure.
Fear
When critical healthcare systems needed attention, we had to open support tickets and wait—sometimes for days or weeks—while distant vendors worked through their queue. Clinical staff needed to respond to patient needs immediately, but the technology infrastructure couldn't keep pace. We had no control over our own systems when lives depended on reliable technology.
Frustration
We had no leverage to improve the situation. We couldn't switch providers. We couldn't configure our own network to meet clinical needs. We couldn't make the technology serve our mission the way we needed it to. High-latency satellite connections struggled to support modern healthcare workflows—telehealth sessions, radiology image transmission, and electronic health record interfaces all suffered when connections failed.
Want
We needed immediate response capability when clinical systems required attention. We wanted the ability to configure our own network, troubleshoot connectivity issues, and respond to patient care needs without waiting for distant vendors to act. We needed reliable, high-performance connectivity that could support modern healthcare delivery.
Aspiration
We envisioned digital sovereignty—a technology infrastructure that CATG truly owned and controlled, with the flexibility to choose partners who would serve our communities' needs. We wanted to exercise self-determination in the digital age, setting priorities, choosing partners, and controlling our own technological infrastructure in service of our mission to care for Gwich'in and Upper Koyukon communities.
Why This Matters
Indigenous communities have historically been left behind in infrastructure development, and telecommunications is no exception. Across rural Alaska and throughout tribal lands, healthcare providers face limited choices for technology services, creating a fundamental power imbalance: when systems need attention, organizations must ask permission and wait for action from vendors who own the infrastructure.
For healthcare providers serving remote communities, this dependency has real consequences. When clinical systems fail or perform poorly, patient care is directly impacted. Emergency medical services can’t wait days for distant vendors to respond to support tickets.
The sovereign network approach offers a different path: take ownership of core infrastructure while maintaining flexibility to choose and change broadband providers. This creates leverage to demand excellent service and the ability to respond quickly when communities’ needs change. As connectivity options expand in rural areas—from LEO satellite services to fiber optic projects—organizations with sovereign networks are positioned to take advantage of new opportunities without being locked into proprietary vendor systems.
Our Approach
CATG engaged Vicinity with a clear vision: build an IT infrastructure that the organization owned and controlled, with the flexibility to choose partners who would truly serve their communities’ needs. This wasn’t about outsourcing IT to another distant vendor—it was about finding a partner who would walk alongside CATG, provide technical expertise when needed, and always keep the organization’s leadership in control of strategy and decisions.
“It’s the best decision this administration has made, to use Vicinity,” Executive Director Dorothea Adams would later reflect.
The partnership unfolded in two major phases: first, establishing stable, reliable infrastructure that CATG owned; then, building what we now call a “sovereign network”—a fundamental shift in the relationship between the organization and technology vendors.
Foundation Building
Established robust data protection for clinical and cultural assets, modern server infrastructure owned by CATG, and facility infrastructure planning leveraging IHS grant funding
Sovereign Network Design
Developed architecture where CATG owns LAN, WAN, and WLAN infrastructure, enabling vendor choice and competition rather than vendor lock-in
Next-Generation Connectivity
Evaluated and implemented Low Earth Orbit satellite service through Starlink, achieving dramatic improvements in bandwidth, latency, reliability, and cost
Tribal Leadership Direction
Throughout every phase, CATG's Executive Leadership Team set priorities and made decisions, with Vicinity providing technical guidance and implementation support
The Solution
Phase One: Building the Foundation
The first phase focused on establishing stable, reliable infrastructure that CATG owned. Working closely with the ELT, Vicinity helped implement three critical components:
Comprehensive Data Protection
A robust backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solution protecting:
- Clinical patient data and health records
- Irreplaceable Gwich’in and Upper Koyukon language recordings
- Cultural materials and traditional knowledge
- Educational and administrative systems
For CATG, this wasn’t just IT—it was cultural preservation. When recording and preserving Gwich’in and Upper Koyukon languages and stories, they’re protecting the living heritage of their communities: the voices of elders, the wisdom of ancestors, and the foundation of cultural identity for future generations.
Modern Server Infrastructure
CATG now operates on reliable, properly maintained server infrastructure that they own, with Vicinity providing ongoing technical support and management. This foundation supports:
- Healthcare operations across four clinic locations
- Natural resources management systems
- Educational program administration
- Cultural preservation initiatives
Facility Infrastructure Planning
Strategic collaboration with CATG leadership to scope and plan facility upgrades, leveraging available grant funding through Indian Health Service programs.
Phase Two: The Sovereign Network
With a stable foundation in place, CATG and Vicinity turned to transformative work: building what we now call a “sovereign network.”
What is a Sovereign Network?
The concept emerged from conversations with CATG leadership about what they truly needed—not just better internet service, but a fundamental shift in the relationship between the organization and technology vendors.
A sovereign network means:
- CATG owns their LAN, WAN, and WLAN infrastructure
- Broadband providers are invited in to support, not control
- Vendors compete for CATG’s business
- CATG’s team can respond immediately when clinical systems need attention
- No vendor lock-in or proprietary dependency
Next-Generation Connectivity
CATG evaluated options for improving broadband connectivity and chose to implement Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service through Starlink. The organization owns the vendor relationship directly.
Results were dramatic:
- Bandwidth: Increased more than 10x
- Latency: Dropped significantly
- Reliability: Substantially improved
- Cost: Fell by nearly 50%
CATG-Owned Infrastructure
We implemented LAN, WAN, and WLAN infrastructure that CATG owns and controls.
What this means operationally:
- IT team can directly configure systems
- Immediate troubleshooting of connectivity issues
- Instant response when clinical workflows need support
- Response time measured in minutes or hours, not days or weeks
Vendor Flexibility & Competition
Perhaps most importantly, this architecture means CATG can evaluate and change broadband providers as better options emerge.
Future-ready infrastructure:
- When the Alaska Fiber Optic Project comes online, CATG can adopt it
- New satellite providers can be evaluated and switched to
- CATG makes the decisions
- Vendors earn their business by providing excellent service
Sovereign Network Architecture
CATG owns and controls their LAN, WAN, and WLAN infrastructure, enabling vendor flexibility and immediate response capability for clinical systems
10x Bandwidth at Half the Cost
LEO satellite implementation delivered dramatic improvements: bandwidth increased tenfold, latency dropped significantly, and costs fell nearly 50%
Cultural Preservation
Comprehensive data protection safeguards Gwich'in and Upper Koyukon language recordings and cultural materials for future generations
Immediate Response Capability
CATG's IT team, supported by Vicinity, responds to clinical system needs in minutes or hours instead of days or weeks
Project Timeline
Foundation Building
Established stable, reliable infrastructure owned and controlled by CATG
- Comprehensive backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solution
- Modern server infrastructure implementation
- Facility infrastructure planning leveraging IHS grant funding
- Cultural asset protection systems
Sovereign Network Design
Developed architecture giving CATG ownership and control of core infrastructure
- LAN, WAN, and WLAN infrastructure owned by CATG
- Vendor evaluation framework
- LEO satellite connectivity implementation
- Network configuration and management capabilities
Partnership Continues
Vicinity provides ongoing technical support and management under CATG's direction
- Continuous infrastructure support
- Technology strategy guidance
- Response capability for clinical system needs
- Preparation for future connectivity options
Results & Outcomes
The transformation has touched every aspect of CATG’s operations, from healthcare delivery to cultural stewardship to operational sustainability. Most importantly, CATG’s sovereign network represents the exercise of self-determination in the digital age—the organization sets priorities, chooses partners, and controls their own technological infrastructure in service of their mission.
Dramatic connectivity improvements enabling modern healthcare workflows and telehealth services
Nearly half the previous cost means better services with fewer resources in an era of tight budgets
Clinical system support now measured in minutes or hours instead of days or weeks
Gwich'in and Upper Koyukon language recordings and cultural materials safeguarded for future generations
CATG owns infrastructure and can evaluate, choose, and change broadband providers
Reliable connectivity for telehealth, radiology, and health records improving care delivery
Beyond technical and financial benefits, the partnership demonstrates a replicable model that other tribal nations can adapt to their own communities and needs. The sovereign network approach offers a path forward for indigenous communities facing limited technology choices: take ownership of core infrastructure while maintaining flexibility to choose and change broadband providers.
As connectivity options expand in rural areas—from LEO satellite services to fiber optic projects—organizations with sovereign networks will be positioned to take advantage of new opportunities. They’ll evaluate providers, negotiate from a position of strength, and switch when better options emerge.
The partnership between CATG and Vicinity continues as we work together on ongoing initiatives, always with CATG’s ELT setting direction and Vicinity providing technical expertise and implementation support.
Technologies & Products
It's the best decision this administration has made, to use Vicinity.
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