LOCALIZE IT: Tribal college leaders uneasy about US financial commitments despite a funding increase

EDITORS/NEWS DIRECTORS:

Tribal citizens are among communities navigating the impacts of massive cuts in federal spending and the effects of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

A funding increase for tribal colleges and universities announced before the shutdown was welcome news, but college leaders remain uneasy about the government’s financial commitments. Those federal dollars are part of the U.S. trust responsibilities, some of the country’s oldest legal obligations, and tribal college and university (TCU) presidents and Native American education advocates worry they could be further eroded, threatening the passage of Indigenous knowledge to new generations.

There are more than three dozen tribal colleges and universities across the country that the Trump administration proposed cutting funding to earlier this year.

Below are resources for finding tribal colleges and universities in your area and tips for reporting on this issue.

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READ AP’S STORY

Tribal college leaders are uneasy about US financial commitments despite a funding increase

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FIND YOUR STATE: TRIBAL COLLEGES NEAR YOU

These sites have details on where tribal colleges are located across more than a dozen states. There are some differences in the locations/schools included, so check each resource to find schools or satellite sites near you, but start with AIHEC.

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) – TCU locations

Tribal Indian College Fund – map of tribal colleges and universities

Tribal College Journal – map of tribal colleges and universities

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CONSIDER THESE REPORTING THREADS AND TIPS

— If you are near a tribal college or satellite location, start by finding out what percentage of their budget comes from the federal government. From there, ask what federal grants the college receives and if those grants have been frozen, rescinded, or eliminated by the Trump administration — several grants and scholarships that benefit TCUs and their students were flagged as “DEI”. Many federal employees who facilitated the grants and services that fulfilled trust responsibilities were also recently terminated.

— It’s important to remember that trust responsibilities owed to tribal nations are not “DEI” but instead the legal promises made to tribes, through treaties and acts of Congress, in return for the land and resources the U.S. took from them.

— TCUs are open to all students, not just tribal citizens, and they benefit rural communities who have limited options for higher education. However, the federal funding uncertainty has caused some to scale back new programs and the hiring of new staff and faculty.

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READ ADDITIONAL AP REPORTING

Tribes that restored buffalo are killing some to feed people because of the shutdown

White House budget request slashes funding for tribal colleges and universities

Tribes and Native American students sue over Bureau of Indian Education firings

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