Tulalip Data Services - About Us

In March 2000, a unique partnership was created to implement a technology strategy for the Tulalip Tribes. This partnership included dedicated representatives of the University of Washington at Bothell, Everett Community College, and the Tulalip Tribes of Washington.

This project was conceived by Tribal leaders to close the technology gap between the Tribes and the surrounding communities; it was initially called the Tulalip Technology Leap (TTL). The ultimate goal of this initiative was to bring economic diversity to the Reservation. By creating a "technology engine," the Tribes would be able to generate high-skilled, well paying jobs, and train tribal members to fill them.

By the fourth year of its existence, TTL had put in place the bulk of the networking infrastructure that is needed for the Tribal government and businesses to carry out their daily functions effectively and productively. Further, the acceptance of and reliance on technology on the Reservation had increased perceptibly.

Given TTL's accomplishments in closing the "digital divide" on the Reservation, and its new focus on providing computing services to Tulalip departments, it was decided that Technology Leap was no longer an appropriate name. The Board of Directors decided to rename this department "Tulalip Data Services" (TDS).

The TDS team was chartered by the Tulalip Board of Directors to conduct a detailed needs analysis and devise a strategy to implement new technology on the Reservation. This phase commenced in Spring 2000, and included an analysis of infrastructure requirements and business-process needs on the Tulalip reservation.

Key tasks in this early stage of the project included creating floor plans for various buildings; assessing the existing networking and telecommunications systems; and finding ways to simplify the collection, storage, management, and dissemination of information.

A coordinating center was set up in the Tulalip Education Center to serve as a work and meeting place for TDS staff, UW students who volunteered for the project, and Tribal members and employees. In 2001, existing computer hardware and software in the facility were upgraded and augmented to meet the computing and document-management needs of the project. The location continues to serve as a convenient workspace for the TDS staff.

The TDS team interviewed and worked directly with over 40 Tribal representatives from such areas as education, business, government, health and social services, cultural preservation, natural resources, and households within the Tulalip community. The initial interviews resulted in over 170 ideas for technology projects. These ideas were instrumental in identifying 23 essential infrastructure and application projects as the first group of projects to be implemented.

The initial phase (needs analysis and requirement gathering) was completed by December 2000 through the tireless efforts of over 113 students, 40 representatives of the Tulalip Tribes, and the TDS Coordinating Team (11 part-time employees and volunteers). This phase was completed within budget, and the remaining funds were allocated to the implementation phase.

As the project entered the implementation phase, considerably more resources were needed to realize the Tribal leaders’ dream of technological parity for the Tribes. Budget, contract terms, and operating procedures were established jointly by all partnering organizations in a timely and efficient manner. The budget is carefully controlled, and overhead expenses are kept to a minimum.

Implementing the 23 projects mentioned earlier comprised the TDS activities in the first year of the implementation phase that begun in the summer of 2001.These projects had the following common themes:

• Developing and building a technology infrastructure to be owned and managed by the Tulalip Tribes;
• Managing a variety of database and multimedia content;
• Introducing systems that enhance Tribal communications;
• Fostering managed growth in economic and community development;
• Enhancing educational opportunities for Tribal families;
• Facilitating the social, health, and economic well-being of the Tulalip Tribes; and
• Preserving the cultural heritage of the Tulalip Tribes.

Once the network infrastructure and support services were in place, Tulalip Data Services launched our long-term strategy to deploy critical technology applications that directly benefits the Tulalip Tribes. These applications include developing e-learning for K-12, enhancing job skills and opportunities for the un- and underemployed, providing alternatives for economic development, and capturing the richness of Tulalip culture.

Several of these projects build on existing technologies. Other projects require advanced research and education to complete. Ultimately, the networking and technology infrastructure should be owned and managed by members of the Tulalip Tribes, while preserving the partnerships established with faculty and students from regional educational institutions.

We believe that the appropriate and selective use of technology enhances the ability to respond to many of the educational, community, cultural preservation, business development and governmental needs of the Tulalip Tribes.

The key to the successful implementation of technology is to truly understand the end-users' needs. Only then, by providing the appropriate technical solutions, can we effectively help users to reach their goals.