NativeWeb is an international non-profit organization whose purpose is to use information technology not to “preserve the past,” but rather foster communication among and about Native groups (NativeWeb, 2006). NativeWeb emerged in 1994 from an outgrowth of “Native Net,” an e-mail listserv group connecting volunteer academics interested in Native American issues (Mitten, 2003). NativeWeb has become one of the most respected Indigenous community websites, providing numerous resources including a community announcement service, web hosting for over 50 Indigenous organizations in North and South American, and an informational database with content searchable by nation or geographic region.

NativeWeb’s homepage displays an array of current news articles involving issues related to governmental happenings, general tribal changes, the state of Indigenous peoples, and specific individual achievements. This gateway to Native-centered news—both broad and specific—exemplifies Native Web’s primary function, to act as a connective portal to form bonds between geographically separated groups and to extend a broader, pan-Indian notion of community and identity. The “People and Places” portion of the homepage expands upon the News section’s function, providing textual and photographic glimpses into specific Native groups’ community rituals and social meetings. The offline culture comprising this content is rooted in widely ranging geographic locales. For example, one story highlights an Inuit community’s preparations for their Spring whaling season, while a following story covers the United Nations’ movement to cease unlawful seizure of Western Shoshoni Indian land in Nevada. Placement of such articles and pictures permits participants to navigate between specific community-affirming cultural events. This in effect allows participants to recognize connections between their own offline Native cultures and those found on the website, fostering commonalities between members and establishing a community online through the website.

NativeWeb carefully includes images of Native peoples, material culture, and physical landmarks only when placed within a specific tribal context. The remainder of the site—aside from the explicitly hosted sites—is nearly entirely text-based. In a portal site such as this, any cultural images or representations placed outside of a specific context could result in a stereotypic interpretation, marginalizing NativeWeb’s extensive communal scope. The selection, placement, and absence of text, images, and hyperlinks are all equally important factors in the construction of website content and structure. These cautious choices allow NativeWeb to create a community linking numerous Native groups and to provide a communicative space for open discourse about ethnic issues both specifically and broadly construed. These techniques work toward shaping a broader pan-Indian identity, while acknowledging tribal specific groups.

The frequently updated “Upcoming Events” text box located on NativeWeb’s homepage presents a revolving informational display including the date, title, and location of future events considered to be of interest to NativeWeb members. Typical events featured in this section include governmental protests, indigenous conferences, and intertribal powwows. The choice to place this box within the homepage helps bridge the gap between the online members of NativeWeb’s community with concrete offline physical events occurring throughout North and South American. This unique inclusion and advertisement works recursively within the website to promote the pan-Indian scope of NativeWeb as well as the specific events themselves.

The NativeWeb Groups Forum webpage provides an index for members to discuss issues ranging from local tribal specific group requirements, such as the need for more Math teaches on specific reservations, to much broader issues effecting tribal groups nationally and globally. These group forums are post and response based, meaning users retain the ability to post questions and replies within topically categorized sections as well as create entirely new sections for discussion. NativeWeb also offers a PHP-based chat room service, where members can engage in direct real-time interaction. Although the information in these sections is purely textual, the use of discussion forums and chat applications demonstrates a distinctly different type of website content. Members’ sustained and evolving use of these web applications signify an alternate framework to assert boundaries, form additional points of commonality, shape group identity, and reinforce community. This portion of the website signifies a dynamic context reliant upon members’ active engagement, literally placing the ability to craft new website content and structure within the hands of NativeWeb participants.

The Nations Index page, found in the Resource Center portion of Native Web, provides an expansive alphabetical list of links to indigenous community websites, boasting 5539 total available listings. When a categorical Native group link is clicked, a subsequent page is provided that displays an in depth list of tribal resources for the selected group. These links can then be selected and the user is directed to an exterior website. The categorical placement of these groups alongside each other and the increased specificity of the sub-categories exemplify the diversity encompassed within pan-Indian identity as well as specific tribes. NativeWeb’s function as a connective gateway, linking Native groups throughout North and South America, allow members to retain a distinct tribal identity, while creating a context that unites these distinctions under an expanded pan-Indian identity.