Cherokee Nation, the largest tribe in the USA with more than 475,000 citizens, has banned the construction of hyperscale data centers on tribe-owned and trust lands. This move follows findings from a working group established by Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., which revealed that 64% of 1,593 surveyed citizens oppose the construction of these facilities within the reservation in northeastern Oklahoma.
Resident Concerns and Local Impacts
The 37-page report cites water and energy consumption, air quality, noise, and the need to protect cultural resources as primary concerns. The tribe stated it will not support projects even on non-tribal lands unless it is consulted in advance.
Chuck Hoskin stated in a tribal announcement: "Our primary responsibility is to protect our citizens and tribal communities from these threats, therefore we will not support any hyperscale data centers in our reservation without proper consultation."
Issues with Data Center Records in Oklahoma
The working group was unable to determine exactly how many data centers actually exist in Oklahoma. Various sources provide differing figures as of June 2026: Cleanview counts 12 operational and 17 planned projects, DataCenterMap lists 46 operational centers, and ConstructConnect sees 33 projects in the planning phase. Since there is no registration requirement, the group tracked emission permits for backup generators at the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, though this does not cover all sites.
Current Projects and Broader Trends
All currently active projects in the reservation are on lands not owned by the tribe, meaning the ban does not apply to them. These include the Google campus in Pryor, which has been operational since 2011, Project Clydesdale near Owasso, and Project Mustang in Claremore. The tribe has no direct regulation over these lands and can only influence them through consultations.
Cherokee Nation joins the Seminole Nation and Kickapoo Tribe, which introduced their own moratoria in March and July. A similar approach was taken by the city of Tulsa, which halted new approvals for nine months in March. In total, at least 69 jurisdictions in the USA have blocked such construction.
Contradiction Between AI Use and Opposition to Centers
The survey revealed a paradoxical situation. While 64% of people reject the construction of centers, 73% of respondents use generative AI tools. Of those, 34% use them daily and 19% weekly. The report describes this as a clear contradiction between citizens' perceptions and their behavior. It therefore recommends creating information sheets on how daily AI use increases the demand for hyperscale centers and establishing a permanent advisory committee for future proposals.