The Alaska Federation of Natives is urging tribal leaders and community members to weigh in on a federal proposal that could significantly reshape funding for Native communities, warning that the changes would undermine self-determined economic development in Alaska.
In a notice shared with its members, AFN highlighted an upcoming public comment deadline of Monday, April 20, 2026, regarding proposed changes by the Administration for Native Americans to its longstanding funding structure.
At the center of the concern is ANA’s plan to abolish the Social and Economic Development Strategies (SEDS) program and its Alaska-specific counterpart, SEDS-AK. According to AFN, these programs “offer a diverse range of funding (and set-aside for Alaska) that strongly supports self-determined economic development, as well as self-determined family and community needs and solutions.”
The federation warned that eliminating these programs would remove a critical funding stream that has allowed tribes to design and implement solutions tailored to their unique circumstances.
ANA instead proposes replacing SEDS with a new initiative known as the EAGLE program. AFN described the replacement as inadequate, stating it is “a very narrowly targeted EAGLE program, in which much of the funding does not meet the needs of Alaska’s tribes and tribal organizations, especially regarding the complex issues of land, utilities, and training in the trades.”
In addition to eliminating SEDS, the proposal—developed in coordination with the Administration for Children and Families—would remove key regulations that guide how ANA distributes funding under the Native American Programs Act.
AFN pushed back on the justification for the change, noting that “ACF is calling the regulations duplicative; however, it is these very regulations that determine the use of funding and what must appear in the Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs) that ANA must abide by.”
Without those regulations, AFN warned, federal agencies would have broader discretion over how funds are allocated, potentially shifting away from the self-determination principles embedded in the Native American Programs Act.
The federation also pointed to past experience as a cautionary tale. “Alaska lost this SEDS AK set-aside years ago because no one submitted comments when the Notice of Public Comment was issued,” the notice stated. “It took numerous years of advocacy to get it back.”
Now, AFN cautioned, the stakes are even higher.
“ANA and ACF are going to remove the funding and the regulations, making it nearly impossible to advocate for its return, and will allow them to move forward with increasingly prescriptive funding rather than the self-determined funding called for under NAPA.”
AFN is encouraging tribes, tribal organizations, and advocates to submit comments before the April 20 deadline, emphasizing that public input could play a decisive role in shaping the future of federal Native funding programs.
Notice of Public Comment – Due April 20 – We suggest submitting by April 19 to meet the Eastern Time deadline.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/20/2026-05484/notice-for-public-comment-on-administration-for-native-americans-program-policies-and-procedures
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Due April 27 – We suggest submitting by April 26 to meet the Eastern Time deadline.
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/27/2026-05994/reducing-bureaucracy-and-burden-for-native-american-programs
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