Learning From a Sister Tribe: Caddo Nation Council Members Visit California's Colusa Microgrid
A conversation with Jennifer Reeder, Secretary, Caddo Nation Tribal Council
Data centers are popping up across the country, and with them comes growing national attention to their appetite for land, water, and energy. For the Caddo Nation, the conversation is more than a headline; it touches directly on questions of ancestral homelands, culturally significant areas, and the protection of burial sites.
Earlier this year, several Caddo Nation Tribal Council members traveled to California to see one tribe's answer to that challenge firsthand. Council Secretary Jennifer Reeder, along with Vice-Chairman Kelly Factor, Treasurer Verna Castillo, and Fort Cobb Representative Kay O'Neal, visited Colusa Energy on the Cachil DeHe Band of Wintun Indians reservation to learn about the tribe's microgrid and its broader push toward energy independence.
Yo Hasinai sat down with Secretary Reeder to talk about what the delegation saw, what it might mean for the Caddo Nation, and how the Council is thinking about the road ahead.
A Different Kind of Data Center
The trip was about more than energy infrastructure. The group toured the Cachil DeHe
Band's casino and resort, tribal stores, and reservations, and learned about several of the tribe's economic development and community initiatives along the way.
One thing stood out above the rest: the tribe has kept the lights on without a single blackout
for more than 14 years, powered in large parts by solar energy woven into the community. The delegation also saw the tribe's commitment to food sovereignty on display in community gardens planted right in its residential neighborhoods.
"These examples demonstrate how the Tribe is using its resources and sovereignty to address both economic and community needs," Reeder said. It's also worth noting what the Colusa facility is not. Rather than the sprawling, water-hungry data centers making national news, the Colusa model relies on a closed-loop cooling system that continually reuses water, a design choice aimed at avoiding the kind of water depletion seen at more traditional facilities.
For Reeder, the biggest takeaway wasn't a blueprint to copy; it was a demonstration of what's possible when a tribe exercises its own sovereignty. "What stood out most was seeing another Tribe use its sovereignty to pursue economic development on its own terms," she said. "Their approach demonstrated that Tribes can be innovative and intentional in determining how to use their lands, resources, and economic opportunities while creating benefits for their citizens."
Reeder states that the trip was about gathering information, not making a decision. "Every Tribe, community, and set of circumstances is different," she said. "What works for one Tribe may not necessarily be appropriate for another." As Council members, she said, the responsibility is to learn from other tribes, ask the hard questions, weigh the opportunities against the potential impacts, and ultimately decide what's right for the Caddo Nation and its citizens.
Doing the Homework First
So, what does the Colusa visit mean for the Caddo Nation going forward? Reeder pointed to one lesson above all others: do the homework before making major decisions. The Caddo Nation is currently conducting an energy feasibility study to better understand its options and what kinds of projects its lands can realistically support. That process matters, Reeder said, because the Nation doesn't want to chase a project simply because it's generating national buzz or promising a payday. "We need to understand the long-term costs and benefits, including energy needs, water use, environmental impacts, infrastructure requirements, cultural resources, revenue potential, and the effects on surrounding communities," she said. "Most importantly, we need to make these decisions as a sovereign Nation and ensure that any development reflects our values and benefits the Caddo people for generations to come."
Protecting What Can't Be Replaced
For all the promise large infrastructure projects can hold, Reeder is candid about what worries her most. "My biggest concern is making sure economic development does not come at the expense of the things we cannot replace: our land, water, cultural resources, and sacred places," she said. "As Caddo people, our connection to our ancestral homelands goes back thousands of years." If a project were ever considered near areas connected to Caddo ancestral lands or cultural resources, Reeder said, the Nation would need a full understanding of the potential impacts before moving forward and burial sites and culturally significant places would have to be treated with the highest level of respect and protection.
"I am not opposed to exploring opportunities that could benefit our people," Reeder said. "I am opposed to making decisions without fully understanding their consequences. Our goal should be responsible development that creates opportunity and allows us to grow while protecting our land, our resources, our history, and the cultural identity that makes us Caddo."
A Seat at the Table
Reeder was clear about what she wants to see from tribal leaders, developers, and government agencies moving forward: early, meaningful involvement, not a courtesy call after the decisions have already been made. "The Caddo Nation needs to be involved in projects early, not after decisions have already been made," she said. "Tribal consultation should be meaningful and occur before projects are approved, sites are selected, or significant investments are made." That means developers and agencies engaging directly with the Caddo Nation to identify cultural resources, burial sites, ancestral places, and other areas that may need protection and it means transparency, from water and energy requirements to environmental impacts and long-term commitments.
"Ultimately, we have a responsibility to exercise our sovereignty and advocate for the protection of our lands," Reeder said. "We should be at the table when decisions affecting those lands are being made." For the Caddo Nation, she said, real economic development has to mean more than revenue on a balance sheet. "It should strengthen our Nation, create opportunities for our citizens, protect our resources, and preserve our ability to determine our own future."
The Caddo Nation's energy feasibility study is ongoing. Yo Hasinai will continue to follow this story as the Council weighs its options for the Nation's energy future.
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