Innovating for Indigenous Futures: Meet Robotics Engineer Danielle Boyer
“I didn’t think I was an inventor for years,” shares Danielle Boyer, a 23-year-old Ojibwe robotics engineer whose groundbreaking work is setting new standards in technical education for Indigenous youth. Though she hesitated to label herself an inventor, Boyer designed her first robot at just 17, leading to the creation of EKGAR (Every Kid Gets a Robot)—a remote-control car kit that costs only $20. This kit is more than just a toy; it’s a tool aimed at teaching Indigenous students essential technical skills. Made from recycled plastics in her home studio, Boyer has shipped over 11,000 kits for free, ensuring that students across Indigenous communities can access this vital educational resource.
“Equitable access to tech education is vital for Indigenous students to make sure we don’t get left behind,” she emphasizes, showing her commitment to leveling the playing field.
SkoBot: Bridging Technology and Language
Boyer’s second creation, SkoBot, is an innovative project aimed at preserving and teaching the endangered Ojibwe language, Anishinaabemowin. These adorable, wearable robots stand about 10 inches tall and are designed to connect with kids. In collaboration with an Ojibwe tattoo artist from Michigan, the latest SkoBots feature designs based on local wildlife, including a bear (makwa) and a rabbit (waabooz).
What sets SkoBots apart is their interactive nature—they sense motion and greet users by saying “boozhoo” (hello) along with other phrases. Through her nonprofit, STEAM Connection, Boyer provides these kits for free, allowing students to construct their own SkoBots while learning about technology and language. She’s going a step further by recording more phrases in the voices of Ojibwe children and elders, including her grandmother, to enrich the robots’ interactions.
Overcoming Barriers in STEM
Boyer frequently takes her robots on the road, demonstrating how technology can serve as a bridge for communication and advocacy, while also imparting engineering skills. Despite her successes, she candidly shares her struggles in the STEM arena. Growing up in a tribal community in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, she faced hurdles, including a lack of financial resources and being the only girl and Indigenous student in her public high school’s robotics club.
“People in my community experience financial and other inequities in education, and that was a barrier to my own STEM education,” Boyer recalls. Moreover, the stigma surrounding women in engineering—even within her own family—only added to the challenges she faced. “Even my own dad said women weren’t meant to be engineers,” she reflects.
But Boyer is determined to break these stereotypes and is here to prove that Indigenous women belong in STEM and beyond.
Making Global Connections
With a resume that already includes appearances at the White House Tribal Youth Forum and accolades like the Echoing Green Fellowship and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation prize, Boyer is making her mark on the global stage. Having relocated to San Diego three years ago, she travels frequently to showcase her innovative work in countries like Poland, the UK, Ghana, and China, where she highlights how technology can play a role in preserving cultural history for future generations.
“To be Indigenous is a protest and a constant advocating for the future of your community,” she asserts. “There’s a myth that Indigenous people exist only in the past. But we’re here now, and we will be here in the future.”
Danielle Boyer’s incredible journey illustrates how innovation can empower communities and create pathways for future generations of Indigenous students.
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