WASHINGTON — In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently. The federal goverment remains under a partial shutdown. If there is no progress made or an agreement made on how to fund the federal government, on Wednesday, the will enter its fifth week of the shutdown.
Proposed Change by Treasury Department Could Harm Tribal Economic Development
Source: NAFOA
U.S. Treasury officials have proposed moving up the Tribal expenditure deadline for the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) from October 2026 to November 2025. Congress created SSBCI to strengthen small business lending and investment nationwide, including in Indian Country. This proposed change represents a significant shift in program expectations and could have a serious impact on Tribal governments and Native-owned businesses.
Background: The State Small Business Credit Initiative
SSBCI is a federal program administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that provides capital to states, territories, and Tribal governments to expand access to financing for small businesses. Initially established in 2010 following the financial crisis, the program was reauthorized and expanded under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which allocated $500 million to Tribal governments.
Under SSBCI, Treasury does not make loans directly. Instead, participating governments design and implement their own programs, partnering with banks, credit unions, and Native Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) to leverage private capital and expand opportunities for small business financing.
The proposed acceleration of the expenditure deadline by 13 months (from October 2026 to November 2025) could:
- Undermine Tribes’ ability to effectively deploy allocated funds
- Compromise the development of sustainable lending infrastructure
- Reduce support for Native-owned businesses and entrepreneurs
- Limit job creation opportunities in Tribal communities
NAFOA has prepared a summary document that provides an overview of the NAFOA Member Tribes and their SSBCI funding by State.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury has prepared an SSBCI Tribal Government Program Summaries document, which includes all Tribal SSBCI projects. The documents show that the potential impact on Tribal Nations and the surrounding communities of rural America is significant.
Tribal Early Childhood & Family Economic Well-being Research Center Grant Opportunity
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) announces the availability of funds and requesting applications for the Tribal Early Childhood and Family Economic Well-being Research Center (TRC). The TRC will support relevant and actionable research, evaluation, and measurement of ACF-funded early childhood and family economic well-being programs that serve Native American communities. The TRC program areas include child care programs, Head Start/Early Head Start center and home-based programs, and Tribal TANF. The primary goals of the TRC are to:
- Conduct relevant and actionable research, evaluation, and measurement of early childhood programs and family economic well-being initiatives in Native American communities;
- Serve as a hub for information and peer exchange to promote this research, evaluation, and measurement. The TRC’s information sharing and research activities will be constructed with input from Tribal program administrators and providers, Tribal leaders, researchers, and federal staff from the TRC program areas.
Funder: Administration for Children and Families
Eligibility: Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, for profit organizations, small businesses, private institutions of higher education, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, city or township governments, county governments, state governments, special district governments, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), others.
Amount: $750,000 – $1,000,000
Contact: Link →
FEMA Funds Approved for Leech Lake Reservation
FEMA announced on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, that federal disaster assistance is now available to members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe to support recovery efforts following severe storms and straight-line winds that struck the area on June 21, 2025.
The announcement makes federal funding available to affected individuals and families within the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. This assistance may include grants for temporary housing, home repairs, and replacement of personal property lost or damaged in the storm.
In addition, the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe is eligible to receive federal funding on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storms.
Frederic Kaehler has been appointed as the Federal Coordinating Officer for recovery operations in the affected areas. Additional designations may be made later if requested by the Tribal Nation and supported by further damage assessments.
Tribal members who suffered losses on or near the designated area are encouraged to first file a claim with their insurance provider before applying for federal assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. Individuals using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS) or captioned telephone service, should provide FEMA with the number for that service.