In the United States, tribal nations find themselves in a state of urgency following an unexpected directive from former President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who are advocating for the closure of more than 25% of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) offices. These essential offices serve Indigenous communities by providing critical services.
Trump and Musk have tasked the General Services Administration (GSA) with starting the process of ending leases for about 7,500 federal offices, including 25 regional BIA locations. This move is causing apprehension among leaders and legal experts, as there is concern about violating the U.S.’s trust responsibilities to tribal nations. Mark Macarro, president of the National Congress of the American Indian, described the action as destabilizing. It prompts worries about the potential impacts on treaties and legal obligations like land and healthcare rights outlined for tribes, which are administered through departments such as Indian Health Services.
Elon Musk’s involvement through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) forms part of a broader strategy to streamline federal government operations. Despite the substantial obligations toward tribal nations, funding for BIA, IHS, and the Bureau of Indian Education constitutes less than a quarter of 1% of the federal budget. Macarro criticized DOGE, expressing frustration at their lack of understanding regarding treaty rights and trust responsibilities.
According to Jacqueline De León, a lawyer with the Native American Rights Fund, the closure of BIA offices, without consultation, is a violation of legal obligations to consult with tribes on matters that impact their citizens. This follows an incident in February when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overturned a decision to lay off 950 IHS staff shortly after they were notified of their termination. The Interior Department also issued a directive to exclude tribal trust obligations from efforts to dismantle diversity and inclusion programs.
Arizona Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly have voiced concern in a letter over the potential closure of the Phoenix BIA regional office, emphasizing the severe limitation of access to essential services for tribes if the office is shut down. They argue that the closure risks the federal government failing in its basic obligations to these communities. Details about the decision-making process behind the office closures, particularly concerning the Phoenix location, are still being sought from the GSA, which has not yet responded.
Tribal leaders, including Martin Harvier, president of the Salt River Pima–Maricopa Indian Community, report that crucial federal departments such as the BIA and IHS are already dealing with chronic underfunding and understaffing, which delay necessary projects for tribal nations. Harvier expresses uncertainty over the future after receiving conflicting assurances regarding the Phoenix office’s status on the closure list.
Overall, the unexpected directive has left tribal communities in a state of uncertainty and concern, as they navigate the potential impact on their access to vital federal services and fulfillments of long-held promises.
