Trump Budget Threatens Funding for Native American Arts College
The recent budget proposal from President Donald Trump suggests significant cuts to federal funding for tribal colleges and universities, including a complete cessation of support for the Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Should Congress approve this proposal, the institution could lose over $13 million in annual federal appropriations starting in October—a first in nearly four decades, according to Robert Martin, the institute’s president.
“You can’t wipe out 63 years of our history and what we’ve accomplished with one budget,” Martin remarked, expressing disbelief at the potential cuts. Since its founding in 1962, the college has been a crucial educational resource for Native artists, boasting notable alumni such as U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo and bestselling author Tommy Orange. It remains the only four-year fine arts school globally focused on contemporary Native American and Alaskan Native arts.
Martin has been in discussions with congressional members from both parties, who have pledged efforts to maintain the institute’s funding. However, he remains concerned about the potential impact on student and staff morale. He also engaged with staff in the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, a Chickasaw Nation member and the House Appropriations Committee chairman. Cole, a former IAIA board trustee and a staunch advocate for tribal funding, was unavailable for comment.
Breana Brave Heart, an IAIA junior, expressed her shock and concern about her educational future in light of these developments. “IAIA is under attack,” she declared, urging fellow students to reach out to congressional representatives to voice their concerns.
Amidst the Trump administration’s efforts to revise federal policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Martin highlighted the challenges faced by tribal institutions. “It’s a problem for us and many other organizations when you’ve got that DEI initiative which really is not applicable to us, because we’re not a racial category, we’re a political status as a result of the treaties,” he explained.
The proposed budget cuts have also drawn criticism from Democratic Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico, who highlighted them as a further instance of the administration “turning its back on Native communities and breaking our trust responsibilities.” Luján emphasized his ongoing commitment to securing full funding for the IAIA with the help of appropriators and the New Mexico Congressional Delegation.
The proposed budget includes $3.75 trillion in tax reductions, extending the 2017 individual income tax breaks while introducing new temporary ones. However, this revenue loss is countered by $1.3 trillion in spending cuts, particularly affecting Medicaid and food assistance.
Despite a January 30 order from the Interior Department to exclude tribal nations’ trust obligations from diversity, equity, and inclusion program cuts, recent actions have raised concerns. Earlier this year, staff reductions occurred at other congressionally chartered institutions—the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute and Haskell Indian Nations University—due to federal downsizing efforts under Trump’s administration. A lawsuit filed in March noted that although some staff were rehired, their positions might remain temporary.
Ahniwake Rose, president of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, noted the challenging implications of the administration’s priorities. “That’s been hard for our staff, our students, our faculty to see that the priority of the administration through the Department of Interior might not be on tribal colleges,” Rose said. The Interior Department’s budget proposal suggests over an 80% reduction in funding for the Bureau of Indian Education’s post-secondary programs, a move that could severely impact TCUs, which rely heavily on federal funds to offer tuition-free education to tribal citizens.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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