I don't think it's a direct help, but entities see bitcoin as an opportunity to make money out if. Just like what you said, the mining company requested the Navajo people to used their land for bitcoin mining. 2 workers to 11 workers? I don't think it will put a big dent on their local economy, unless they are like 20 people in their neighborhood. Yes, I know that bitcoin has open a lot of doors, but this is just an exaggeration to me.

If there's something that really help Native Americans, it's gaming:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_gaming

Aside from the navajo people, there really are people in different countries that are being helped by bitcoin.

Including those who have invested early and to the people that have been earning bitcoin with their side hustles and other online jobs and gets paid by btc.

Definitely, we're also the one that enjoys its power for having it. And it's not that too late for the others who wants to know more about it.

Cant really denied on how these forum-based jobs not only limited to signature campaigns but also on micro jobs or task that you could see on this forum is really a big or great help  on at least sustaining yourself on buying some food.It might not be much for most people but for those who do live out  on 3rd world  country would really see this as a big or great help at least on this very hard situation.

Many countries are actually benefiting from crypto, perhaps in fairness it is helping the poor and economically unstable countries. Some countries are subject to the US embargo which makes it difficult for their economies to develop and bitcoin is a useful tool and solution to help them sustain their lives. Earlier this year, when I saw El Salvador accept crypto, I see that they are really taking advantage of the good opportunity for the country to be able to capitalize on the wave of bitcoin.

They used the land to build a workplace and employed the people living there to get a job as a sort of "compensation" for taking their land. While I appreciate the fact that the people were given jobs, it did not change the balance of power towards the people. It also depends on whom you include in the word "people" - the owners of the mining company can also be included in it because they are also using bitcoin.

So my opinion is that using this topic to conclude that the natives got "power" is a wrong conclusion - rather it gave them a job opportunity to work somewhere and earn a living - that is more appropriate.

Owning a land and working on previously sold land as a day worker - these are different things. One would always want the first one and that is what the Natives have been deprived off for long. I am not saying that the mining company is bad, they need to grow and expand too.

When I was reading the news I was thinking the same thing. They paint it as a great benefit for the Indian community but who really profits is the Canadian firm. It may be a little helpful but it's an exaggeration, starting with the title of the article that looks like they are all Navajo mining with PCs from their homes.

I think Bitcoin (Lightning Network) can make a huge impact on local (rural) communities, if the Internet infrastructure is there to support it. We have seen how M-PESA has been used successfully on mobile phones in Kenya in Africa in rural communities.

The same can be implemented from Apps and wallets on mobile phones with FREE Wifi hotspots in smaller villages, where small retailers do their business. This will give them the benefit of much lower fees and also instant transactions without intermediaries. 

Not just the small community but we see that El Salvador which adopted bitcoins as legal tender also is helping and hoping that bitcoins would help them boost their prickliest economy where 1/5th of their GDP   came from people sending money from abroad , this transaction had high transaction fees since there are few banks and the money would be considered in international exchange ,
The country was paying a huge amount in transaction cost and less than 35% of the whole population had bank accounts,
It is said that every citizen were offered $30 which they could use for paying at shops or government taxes .

We see here one of the main reason for adopting could  be elimination of transaction fees in international transfer of money .

Navajo are being benefited by bitcoin indirectly, because they just profit from the rent the company pays in order to operate the mining farm inside their territory. The impact would be much more positive if the native americans were being taught to adopt bitcoin individually and directly, having access to exchanges, virtual jobs, investments and any other kind of crypto related site. This way each Navajo could chart their own path in crypto universe, without having to wait for the good will or success of third party companies to get some pennies from that.