Chippewa communities in the eastern Upper Peninsula are working together to keep data centers off tribal land—and they’re succeeding.
When members of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula heard that billionaire-owned tech companies were considering building data centers on reservation land—where tribal sovereignty can mean some state regulations don’t apply—they jumped into organizing mode.
More than 50,000 members of the tribe live in Michigan’s eastern UP. Membership brings significant benefits for families, like health care, access to cultural events, and enrollment in youth programming. But some community members say there’s a lack of transparency between tribal leadership and citizens, even when consequential proposals—like data center development—arise.
Tribal economic advisor David Lockhart is one of those community members.
“There are a lot of voices falling in between the grass,” said Lockhart, who has lived in Sault Ste. Marie for over four decades.
So when Lockhart and other concerned neighbors learned that tribal leadership was planning a closed-door strategic meeting on data center development in the region, they mobilized to make their voices heard. During a public comment meeting ahead of the scheduled private session, dozens of members spoke to demand a data center moratorium on tribal land.
“Data centers aren’t good for anybody. You’re leasing land and giving control to a third party that doesn’t have the tribe’s best interest in mind. All of these things are troubling,” said Lockhart. Fellow tribal members who made public comments raised concerns about energy use, land development, noise, and other long-term community impacts of data centers.
Others expressed misgivings about how data center construction might jeopardize the local watershed. In recent years, thousands of dollars in grant funding have been spent to improve conditions in the Sault Ste. Marie watershed, including removing harmful bacteria from human sources and other contaminants. Residents worry that nearby construction projects, like building a hyperscale data center, would undo the progress and further disturb the land.
Monica Cady, an herbalist and fellow member of the tribe, said the tribe has a duty to protect the land and Michigan’s Great Lakes for future generations. That’s why she and her grandson drove over an hour from their home in Hessel to share concerns with tribal leadership during the meeting in Sault Ste Marie.
“As a water protector, I feel that data centers are as bad as what’s happening with Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline. They’re holding the Great Lakes hostage and refusing to leave,” said Cady.
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The community pushback worked. On April 7, after hearing from dozens of community members, tribal leadership unanimously voted to approve a moratorium prohibiting the development of data centers on tribal land. The moratorium will remain in effect indefinitely unless explicitly lifted by a future board resolution, which would require several steps.
“I’m so proud that we stood up and made a difference so fast. I feel empowered,” said Cady, adding that she hopes more towns will unite and protect the Great Lakes from data centers.
The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is among a growing number of Michigan communities that have passed data center moratoriums or encouraged tech companies to back out of development plans. In early April, community pushback halted plans by UK-based company Deep Green to construct a 25,000-square-foot facility in downtown Lansing.
Lockhart said all Michiganders—on and off tribal land—should pay attention as global tech companies and lesser-known developers continue to eye property throughout the state for data center construction.
Related: How many AI data centers are planned in Michigan? We counted.
“While I am happy to see the moratorium, I know they’re going to come back with something different. We have to keep our eyes out for what those plans might look like,” said Lockhart. “We have to be vigilant and continue the pressure and continue building our strength.”
He recommended flagging “things that don’t add up” on agendas presented by local leadership, and connecting with other Michiganders who are working to hold community officials accountable.
“We need to make sure our voices work in every available avenue,” said Lockhart.
Related: Upper Peninsula communities join forces to push back against Big Tech
