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Dina Horwedel, Director of Public Education, American Indian College Fund
303-426-8900, dhorwedel@collegefund.org

Colleen R. Billiot, Public Education Coordinator, American Indian College Fund
720-214-2569, cbilliot@collegefund.org

Feb 3, 2025 | Press Releases

Tribal Organizations Urge Administration to Respect Tribal Sovereignty and Uphold Trust and Treaty Obligations Amid Executive Actions

 

February 3, 2025, Washington, D.C. – A coalition of Tribal organizations, representing Tribal Nations and their citizens and communities, is calling on the Administration to ensure that recent executive actions do not undermine the unique sovereign political status of Tribal Nations as sovereign nations with which the federal government has trust and treaty obligations, or disrupt federal funding that flows from those relationships for essential Tribal programs.

Following the issuance of multiple executive orders and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directives, concerns arose over freezes on federal funding that Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations, including urban Indian organizations, rely on to provide critical healthcare, economic development, education, and social services to Tribal communities. While OMB has since rescinded the initial memorandum, questions remain about how federal agencies will interpret and implement the Administration’s executive orders and policies moving forward.

Tribal Nations are not special interest groups—they are sovereign governments with a unique legal and political relationship with the United States and with their own Tribal communities. The trust and treaty obligations of the federal government are political and debt-based in nature. Tribal Nations’ sovereignty and the federal government’s delivery on its trust and treaty obligations must not become collateral damage in broader policy shifts.

The coalition emphasizes that federal funding for Tribal programs is not discretionary, but rather a legal mandate owed under the United States’ trust and treaty obligations and the many statutes that carry them out. The organizations urge the Administration to explicitly recognize Tribal sovereignty and trust and treaty obligations in the implementation of all executive orders and priorities and to ensure that federal agencies provide clear guidance that protects Tribal programs from unnecessary disruption.

As the Administration advances its priorities, it must do so in a way that respects Tribal sovereignty, strengthens self-determination, and delivers on trust and treaty obligations. We stand ready to work with federal partners to ensure that all policies and decisions uphold the government-to-government relationship between the U.S. and Tribal Nations.

The coalition will continue to advocate for Tribal sovereignty and fulfillment of the trust and treaty obligations and ensure that the voices of Indian Country are heard in Washington. A full copy of the sign-on letter can be found here: https://qrco.de/letter2225

For media inquiries, please contact:

    • Dina Horwedel, Senior Director of Public Education and Communications, American Indian College Fund, 303-430-5350, dhorwedel@collegefund.org
    • Colleen R. Billiot, Public Education and Communications Associate, American Indian College Fund, 720-214-2569, cbilliot@collegefund.org

 

List of National Tribal Organizations

    • American Indian College Fund
    • American Indian Higher Education Consortium
    • Association on American Indian Affairs
    • Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians
    • California Tribal Chairpersons Association
    • Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council
    • Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Association
    • Indian Gaming Association
    • Inter-Tribal Association of Arizona
    • Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes
    • Native American Finance Officers Association
    • National American Indian Court Judges Association
    • Native American Rights Fund
    • National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers
    • Native Forward Scholars Fund
    • National Congress of American Indians
    • National Council of Urban Indian Health
    • National Indian Child Welfare Association
    • National Indian Education Association
    • National Indian Health Board
    • Northern California Tribal Chairperson’s Association
    • Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council
    • Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium
    • Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association
    • United South and Eastern Tribes

 

About the American Indian College Fund The American Indian College Fund has been the nation’s largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes “Education is the answer” and provided $20.5 million in scholarships and other direct student support for access to a higher education steeped in Native culture and values to American Indian students in 2023-24. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $349 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation’s 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Gold Seal of Transparency from Guidestar, and the “Best in America Seal of Excellence” from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation’s top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org.

JournalistsThe American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund.

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