House Committee Holds Hearing on Bureau of Indian Education Colleges
During a June hearing, members of the House Natural Resources and Education and Workforce Committees examined longstanding dysfunction at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI), the sole federally operated tribal colleges. Testimony detailed serious issues including payroll fraud, mismanagement of federal funds, administrative bullying, sexual harassment, and drastically low graduation rates—as low as 43% at Haskell and 9% at SIPI. This was the second hearing this year to examine issues at Haskell, and the first to discuss issues at SIPI.
Lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at reforming governance and improving outcomes at the two schools. The Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act (H.R. 4085), introduced by Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-1) and Sen. Jerry Moran (KS), proposes to transform Haskell into a federally chartered university governed by a board. This would shift control away from the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), and grant the university more autonomy in hiring, budgeting, and academic decision-making. This governance structure would better align with tribal priorities and respond to student needs. A range of tribes and tribal organizations, including the National Indian Education Association and National Congress of American Indians, support the legislation.
Congress must also address the maintenance backlog at both schools, where a lack of investment has forced Native students to endure unacceptable conditions. Reauthorization of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is the first step to addressing these issues. Under GAOA, the BIE receives approximately $95 million annually for deferred maintenance and repair funds for tribal schools. However, without reauthorization beyond fiscal year 2025, the backlog—already at billions—will grow, jeopardizing vital repairs at Haskell and SIPI. A 2024 Office of Inspector General report noted previous GAOA funding has been insufficient to fix all maintenance needs.
Interior Secretary Questioned by House Committee on President’s Budget Request
In June, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum testified before the House Natural Resources Committee on the Trump administration’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget. Lawmakers highlighted critical challenges facing Native communities and examined how the proposed budget would impact tribal nations. Lawmakers also emphasized the importance of robust tribal consultation processes before major changes are made to federal Indian programs.
Tribal leaders and several members of Congress have raised concerns about continued underinvestment in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, arguing that the proposed budget fails to meet the federal government’s treaty and trust obligations. As we’ve covered, the budget request would include major cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including to education and tribal law enforcement.
Multiple members also voiced opposition to projects like the proposed Resolution Copper Mine at Oak Flat, which have sparked widespread tribal resistance. Last month, the Supreme Court declined to hear a case that would have prevented the transfer of the site to Resolution Copper.
Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (NM-13, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs) urged Secretary Burgum to ensure that tribal consultation is not just a procedural formality but a genuine government-to-government dialogue in Oak Flat, Chaco Canyon, and elsewhere. She pressed him for a commitment to send a decision-maker to meet with each tribe impacted by development near Chaco Canyon.
“You can drill a molecule away from Chaco Canyon,” Rep. Leger Fernández said, “and get a return on your investment and not destroy irreplaceable cultural sites… Don’t do it where there are sacred, protected sites that can never, ever be replaced.”
What We’re Reading
Former FCNL Native American Affairs staffer Patricia Powers released a new book chronicling eight decades of one Quaker committee’s relationships with Native peoples. Congratulations Pat!
- After Outcry from Tribes, Federal Agency Scales Back Tribal School Choice Plan | The Hechinger Report
- Federal Government ‘Stuck Tribes With a Bill’ for Indian Boarding Schools, Lawsuit Alleges | Imprint News
- Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Officials Stand in Solidarity with Florida Tribal Nations Against ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ | KOSU
