Traci L. Morris, PhD
Dr. Morris is the executive director of the American Indian Policy Institute (AIPI) and a research professor at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University. She is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation in Oklahoma and is recognized as a leading scholar in Tribal Digital Sovereignty. Dr. Morris is scheduled to release a new book on this topic in 2026.
Under her leadership, the AIPI has significantly expanded its initiatives in Indian Country. It has recently relocated to the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law and, in partnership with the National Congress of American Indians, has launched the new Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty.
Dr. Morris's tenure has seen several key advancements:
- Policy Analysis: Providing policy analysis supported by a new legislative dashboard.
- Research & Data: Growing tribally driven research and data analysis with regard to digital sovereignty and tribal broadband.
- Capacity Building: Spearheaded significant capacity-building programming, including the creation of the highly successful Indigenous Leadership Academy.
She is an expert in tribal broadband access, having testified at the Federal Communications Commission and on Capitol Hill. Additionally, she is knowledgeable about Tribal digital equity, broadband policies, and digital sovereignty.
Throughout her career, Dr. Morris has worked with Native American nations, Tribal businesses, and Native American non-profits. Her research and publications focus on Internet use, digital inclusion, network neutrality, digital equity, and developing broadband networks in Indian Country. In 2019, she spearheaded and co-authored the Tribal Technology Assessment: The State of Internet Service on Tribal Lands. Her book, Native American Voices: A Reader, is widely used as a teaching tool in colleges nationwide.
Dr. Morris is an affiliated faculty member at ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society and American Indian Studies. She is affiliated with ASU’s Center on Technology, Data, and Society. Additionally, she serves as a Sustainability Scholar in the ASU School of Sustainability. Formerly, she served two-year appointments (2014-2016 and 2010-2012) to the Federal Communications Commission's Consumer Advisory Committee and was a member of the Advisory Board for the Department of Labor's Native American Employment and Training Council.
Before her ASU appointment, Dr. Morris founded Homahota Consulting LLC, a national Native American woman-owned professional services firm. She holds an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Arizona’s American Indian Studies program and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Colorado State University.