FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Media Contacts:

Kathy Aplan, Communications & PR Associate

American Indian Higher Education Consortium

(571) 733-8042

kaplan@aihec.org

Jennifer Wilson, Membership & Communications Manager

National Indian Education Association

202-847-0036

JWilson@niea.org

The American Indian Higher Education Consortium and the National Indian Education Association Call for Exemption in Workforce Reductions at Bureau of Indian Education Operated Tribal Colleges and K-12 Schools

Alexandria, VA – February 19, 2025 – The American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) are calling upon the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to grant an exemption from workforce reductions affecting two Tribal Colleges and the Bureau of Indian Education’s K-12 programs.

“Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) are the only two Tribal Colleges operated by the federal government through the DOI’s Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) making them unique among the nation’s 37 Tribal higher education institutions,” said AIHEC President & CEO Ahniwake Rose, “there are legitimate concerns that workforce reduction at these institutions will eliminate vital services and much needed educational programs the students need to complete their degree programs.”

AIHEC and NIEA affirm that those employed at the two colleges and throughout the BIE K-12 system are fulfilling the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations and should be exempt from this broad directive.

NIEA Executive Director Jason Dropik stated “The BIE serves approximately 48,000 American Indian students across the country. While historically underfunded, the agency is responsible for fulfilling the federal trust obligation to educate Native youth. Significant workforce reductions will negatively impact students and have long-term educational consequences for our Tribal Nations.”

Tribal organizations, including AIHEC and NIEA, are calling for Tribal consultations with federal agencies and asking that Tribal leaders pass resolutions of support and request that the federal government fulfill its legal trust and treaty obligations through both the direct delivery of Tribal programs and services provided by federal agencies and through the provision of federal staff and funding to Tribal Nations.

###

American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) provides a support network to the nation’s accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and works to influence public policy on American Indian and Alaska Native higher education issues through advocacy, research, and programmatic initiatives; promotes and strengthens Indigenous languages, cultures, communities, lands, and tribal nations; and through its unique position, serves member institutions and emerging TCUs.

National Indian Education Association (NIEA) advocates for policies and develops programs that support self-determination and comprehensive, culturally grounded learning opportunities for Native students. By strengthening self-determination, our communities gain the skills, knowledge, and voice to nurture the strengths, resilience, and intelligence of our Native youth, grounded in traditional Native ways.