Native America Calling: A new report finds tribes are most vulnerable during government shutdown

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Native America Calling: A new report finds tribes are most vulnerable during government shutdown

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

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A new report finds tribes are most vulnerable during government shutdown

As the federal government shutdown drags on, tribes are feeling the brunt more than the general population.

That’s among the conclusions in a new report from the Brookings Institution that examines how the government distributes the funds it is obligated to. The report finds that a large portion of the money for tribal necessities like health care, education, and economic well-being required under the Trust and Treaty Responsibility is dependent on annual action by Congress rather than being baked into the automatic allocations that other federal funding recipients enjoy. The report calls on a more reliable funding system for tribes.

The shutdown has prompted several tribes — including the Spirit Lake Nation, the Standing Rock Tribe and Shawnee Tribe in Oklahoma — to declare states of emergency, mainly because of the lack of food and winter heating assistance.

Tune into Native America Calling to hear more about how the shutdown is grinding away at tribes’ ability to help their citizens.

Guests on Native America Calling

 Joseph James (Yurok Tribe), Chairman of the Yurok Tribe, headquartered in California

Nikki Stoops (Native Village of Kotzebue), vice president of engagement for the Alaska Federation of Natives

Liz Malerba (Mohegan Tribe), director of policy and legislative affairs for the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund

Robert Maxim (Mashpee Wampanoag), fellow at the Brookings Institution