No
Hyper-scale Data Centers
In Minnesota
Mukwa opposes the creation of any new Data Centers being placed on Turtle Island.
For countless generations, the Native Peoples of Turtle Island have been the rightful custodians of this land. We stand together and rise against any environmental threats to the land, water, people, and animal relatives to safeguard all that is sacred. To live in right relations with all beings.
Having grown up in the digital era, we recognize that this technology has existed since the dawn of the modern internet. From LAN servers connecting local networks to Internet Server Buildings, cryptocurrency farms, and now these second-generation AI and “hyperscaled” data centers competing for the finest semiconductors and processors, all made from minerals taken from Mother Earth. Minerals sourced from stolen Indigenous territories both here and in the Global South, often extracted through slave labor in artisan mines.
By learning from Indigenous knowledge and science, we can progress. Our Indigenous history reveals much better ways of governing, health care, agriculture, and scientific practices. Our scientific approaches are intertwined with our spirituality, leading to hundreds of thousands of years of successful and thriving communities and advancements in technology. If modern technology is developed in the right relation with all beings around it, it can provide our current society with hundreds of thousands of years of incredible and prosperous growth.
Data centers, essential for our digital world, pose significant risks to clean water sources. These facilities consume vast amounts of water for cooling systems, which can lead to depletion of local water supplies. Additionally, the chemicals used in their operations can contaminate nearby water bodies if not managed properly. As the demand for data storage and processing continues to grow, the environmental impact on water resources becomes increasingly concerning, highlighting the need for sustainable practices in the tech industry.
The unchecked AI industry, powered by these shiny new data centers, is practically giving our oppressors a master toolkit for wreaking havoc. We're talking about AI being weaponized for mass surveillance, creating loopholes in legal and tax systems, and snatching away countless low-level jobs, among other things. It's a recipe for disaster, and the consequences erode all of our sovereignty.
Data centers pose significant challenges to residential electricity usage, impacting both power consumption and pricing. As these facilities require vast amounts of energy to operate and cool their servers, they can strain local power grids. This increased demand may lead to higher electricity costs for households and prioritize energy distribution in ways that disadvantage residential users. Consequently, the growing presence of data centers raises concerns about their influence on energy availability and affordability for everyday consumers.
We have the technological and scientific knowledge to create these data centers that would coexist alongside our communities and all beings. These tech billionaires who come into our beautiful communities and territories, don’t use their billions to create business infrastructures that won’t harm us, but to commodify this current technology in a manner that harms not just the environment but the roots of our communities.
Legislative Priorities
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Mukwa is calling for a complete ban on the construction of new hyper-scale data centers in Minnesota. We believe that these facilities can be developed in harmony with all living beings, and until that balance is achieved, we are demanding a full halt on any permits or construction related to these centers.