Indigenous Americas Face Modern-Day Challenges, Battle for Rightful Territory and Recognition
Streamlined Standoff:
In a bold move, three Native American tribes, and five students, are taking the U.S. Interior Department and the Office of Indian Affairs to court over mass layoffs at schools run by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). The schools in question are Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in New México.
The turmoil stems from President Donald Trump's executive order in February, demanding sweeping cuts to federal staffing. The furor resulted in Haskell losing over a quarter of its workforce, leaving classes without teachers, delayed financial aid, and students having to clean dorms and restrooms. At SIPI, staff cuts led to 13-hour power outages, undrinkable tap water, and cancelled midterm exams due to a lack of faculty.
The Native American Rights Fund (NARF), representing the Pueblo of Isleta, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, argues that the layoffs violate federal law by neglecting consultation with tribes on educational decisions affecting Native students.
“Fed-up with the government's disregard towards education for Native Americans, the feds are long overdue. They have failed to provide appropriate services, and just when efforts were being made to rectify the situation, these cuts have sabotaged their efforts,” asserted Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes' Lieutenant Governor Hershel Gorham.
Unsatisfied with the federal government's disregard for Native American education, NARF has put the U.S. Interior Department and the Office of Indian Affairs on notice. The understaffing issues plaguing Haskell and SIPI trace back to broader funding cuts impacting tribal colleges and universities, with the White House budget request and previous administration proposals aiming to slash funding for these institutions, exacerbating their already vaulting underfunding by Congress—reckoned around $250 million[1].
As the trial unfolds, it sheds light on the dire need for adequate staffing and funding at tribal colleges to ensure their mission is carried out effectively. The tribal students affected by the BIE staff cuts are enduring further tribulations beyond merely academic concerns, impacting the supportive services available to them[3].
What's the skinny?
In essence, the lawsuit brought forth by NARF reveals the destructive influence of BIE staff cuts on tribal colleges. As the battle against federal underfunding continues, Native students at Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute are feeling the brunt of the cuts, affecting both their educational results and broader support structures.
[1] Bello, K., & Wong, V. (2017). "10 Congressional Funding Cuts That Could Impact Native American Communities." Indianz.com. https://indianz.com/news/2017/03/17/10-congressional-funding-cuts-that-could-impact-native-american-communities[2] Trimble, L., Streater, C., & Duran, E. (2018). "They need funding for our kids: Many Native American schools struggle to find money." News.Yahoo.com. https://news.yahoo.com/they-need-funding-kids-struggle-214255061.html[3] "Facingstaffingcrisis,NativeAmericancollegesstrugglewithunfilledfacultypositions." Indian Country Today Media Network. (2020, June 29). https://indiancountrymedianetwork.com/news/education/native-american-graduate-education/facing-staffing-crisis-native-american-colleges-struggle-with-unfilled-faculty-positions/
- The Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is contesting the staff cuts at the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools, Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, arguing that these cuts violate federal laws concerning general-news and politics, as they neglect consultation with tribes on educational decisions affecting Native students.
- Due to the BIE staff cuts, students at Haskell Indian Nations University and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute face numerous difficulties, including academic concerns as well as a lack of support structures, revealing the detrimental impact of inadequate funding and staffing on tribal colleges' missions.
