In President Donald Trump’s latest budget proposal, substantial funding cuts are suggested for tribal colleges and universities, threatening the existence of the nation’s only federally funded institution for contemporary Native American arts. If Congress approves these budgetary changes, funding for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which amounts to over $13 million annually, could be eliminated entirely by October. This would mark the first instance in almost forty years that the federally chartered school would not receive federal support, shared Robert Martin, the school’s president.
“You cannot erase 63 years of history and achievements with a single budget,” Martin remarked on Friday. “I find it difficult to comprehend why such a decision would be made.” Established in 1962, the college has delivered accessible education to numerous Native artists and culture advocates, producing illustrious alumni such as U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, painter T.C. Cannon, and bestselling author Tommy Orange. According to its website, IAIA stands as the only fine arts institution worldwide offering four-year degrees in contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native arts.
Martin has held discussions with Congress members across political divides, receiving reassurances that they’ll strive to maintain the institute’s funding for the forthcoming fiscal year. However, he fears the proposal might demoralize students and staff. He also engaged with the staff of U.S. Representative Tom Cole, a member of the Chickasaw Nation and the House Appropriations Committee chair. Though an advocate for funding supporting tribal citizens, Cole, a Republican, and a former IAIA board member, wasn’t available for a statement.
Breana Brave Heart, a junior studying arts and business, expressed shock at the proposal, questioning its implications on her ability to continue her studies at IAIA amid these potential budget cuts. She’s started mobilizing other students to contact Congress members, urging, “IAIA is under attack, and it’s essential other students realize this.”
Martin commented that amid the Trump administration’s efforts to curtail federal policies advocating diversity, equity, and inclusion, the obligations and treaty rights towards tribal nations are also being scrutinized. “When DEI initiatives are cast off, it poses challenges for us and similar organizations as we are recognized by our political status due to treaties, not as a mere racial category,” he explained. “We’re perceived as what might be labelled by this administration as ‘woke.’”
New Mexico Democrat Senator Ben Ray Luján labeled the proposed funding cuts as yet another instance of the Trump administration “turning away from Native communities and breaching our trust responsibilities.” As part of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, he pledged continued efforts to ensure IAIA remains fully funded through collaboration with appropriators and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation.
A response from the White House regarding this matter was not immediately available. The congressional budget bill under consideration includes approximately $3.75 trillion in tax cuts, prolonging the expiring 2017 individual tax incentives while temporarily adding new ones championed by Trump during his campaign. These tax initiatives would partly recover costs through a reduction of nearly $1.3 trillion in federal spending elsewhere, specifically impacting areas like Medicaid and food assistance.
An order from the Interior Department dated January 30, titled “Ending DEI Programs and Gender Ideology Extremism,” asserts that efforts to abolish diversity, equity, and inclusion within its policies should not overlook trust obligations to tribal nations. Nevertheless, earlier this year, personnel at two other congressionally chartered institutions — the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque and Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas — experienced layoffs following Trump’s intent to downsize the federal workforce.
Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, representing over 30 Tribal Colleges and Universities, commented, “The president’s values and priorities are reflected in these proposals, creating hardships for our staff, students, and faculty as it becomes apparent that tribal colleges are not prioritized by this administration via the Interior Department.”
In a bid to slash costs further, the Interior Department’s budget request this year suggests an over 80% funding reduction for the Bureau of Indian Education’s (BIE) post-secondary programs. Such cuts could severely impact tribal colleges and universities, which lean heavily on federal financial support, stated Rose. Most tribal colleges offer tuition-free education to tribal citizens, viewing this not only as a moral obligation but also a fiduciary responsibility of the federal government toward tribal nations.
The treaties signed between the U.S. and tribal nations included various rights owed to them—covering land, health care, and education, managed later through bodies such as the BIE. Trust responsibilities denote the legal and ethical obligations the U.S. carries to safeguard these rights. At the time of writing, the Interior Department had not provided any comment in response to inquiries.