S4E15 Danielle Boyer: Ancestral Science and Technology

From as far back as we can remember, Native Americans have always been scientists and inventors. In many ways they have always been innovators and entrepreneurs, too. So, why not encourage young Native Americans to take this back by reclaiming their heritage within the ranks of tech business start-up culture?

Boozhoo (hello)! Danielle Boyer is an Indigenous (Anishinaabe – Enrolled Sault Tribe) youth robotics inventor and advocate exploring how emerging technologies can be ethically used to safeguard Indigenous cultures and languages. The Anishinaabeg are one of the largest Indigenous people groups in North America, residing across the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, where their language, Anishinaabemowin, is endangered. In 2019, Danielle founded The STEAM Connection, a youth-led nonprofit that has provided over one million young people worldwide with free, culturally grounded technical education through robotics.

She is best known for designing the SkoBots, wearable AI-powered personal robots that teach Anishinaabemowin using community-authored data, locally run systems, and frameworks rooted in Indigenous data sovereignty. Her work addresses global challenges of ethical AI, language extinction, and equitable access to emerging technologies. Danielle has spoken at the White House, UNESCO Headquarters, and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues. Recognized as a National Geographic Young Explorer, Echoing Green Fellow, and two-time MIT Solve Fellow, her life and work were featured in an MIT Solve documentary that won a Webby Award, Sundance Brand Storytelling Award, Tribeca X Award, and a SXSW feature.

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