64% of programs surveyed reported being “substantially impacted”
A new report from the Urban Indian Health Institute warns that recent federal funding cuts are undermining programs that serve American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) crisis.
Released Tuesday, the report, Sacred Responsibility, Protecting Our People, found that funding reductions since early 2025 have forced many Tribal and Native-serving organizations to scale back or eliminate critical victim services, raising concerns that violence against Native people could increase.
The report is based on a nationwide survey of 201 programs and organizations, including Tribal governments, Tribal organizations, Tribal coalitions, Native nonprofits, and Urban Indian Organizations. Respondents were asked about funding sources, services provided during the past year, unmet service requests, and Tribal law enforcement capacity.
According to the survey, 64% of respondents said their organizations have been substantially affected by federal funding cuts since January 2025, while 44% reported that services for victims of violence have already been reduced or are expected to be cut. Additionally, 84% said federal funding accounts for more than half of their operating budgets.
“Tribal leaders and advocates spent decades building support, raising awareness, and passing legislation to protect our people—all it took was the snap of a finger for the money to disappear,” said Abigail Echo-Hawk, director of UIHI and co-author of the report.
“The United States has a legal responsibility to fund health programs that serve American Indians and Alaska Natives. They are failing to do that, which means we will see a rise in violence against Native peoples,” Echo-Hawk said.
Under the federal government’s treaty and trust responsibilities, the United States is obligated to provide funding for a range of Tribal services, including healthcare and public safety programs. UIHI argues that funding reductions implemented across federal agencies since early 2025—including cuts associated with efforts to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs—have disrupted services for Native communities.
Although some funding streams were later restored following objections from Tribal leaders, the report says uncertainty remains. It also emphasizes that Tribal programs are funded because they serve citizens of sovereign Tribal Nations under treaty obligations—not because they are race-based initiatives.
Rose Lashawaat Quilt, director of policy for the Southwest Indigenous Women’s Coalition, said the findings demonstrate that Native survivors continue to be underserved.
“Last year, the Administration claimed it would prioritize Native health, but this report shows that’s just not the case,” Quilt said.
“Native survivors have yet to obtain equally accessible, culturally appropriate services and have even less in today’s climate. Despite ongoing policy advocacy efforts, Tribal programs and Tribal Coalitions have yet to be as equitably funded as their state and local counterparts, and the federal cuts deepen a federal failure that continues to cost more Native lives, which is wholly unacceptable and must be remedied.”
The report points to longstanding disparities in violence affecting Native communities. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, homicide rates among American Indian and Alaska Native people in 2023 were nearly five times higher than those for non-Hispanic White people. The CDC also reports that approximately 58% of Native women and 51% of Native men experience intimate partner violence during their lifetimes, while about 44% of Native women experience rape.
UIHI said the report is intended to help inform lawmakers as Congress considers future funding for Tribal public safety and victim services. Among its recommendations are stable, long-term funding for Tribal programs, legal protections shielding Tribal services from future DEI-related funding cuts, expanded Tribal law enforcement resources, and reauthorization of key laws, including the Violence Against Women Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.
The report was released the same day Echo-Hawk testified before a House oversight hearing titled, “Innovative Technologies and Initiatives to Tackle the MMIP Crisis in Indian Country.”
In her written testimony, Echo-Hawk told lawmakers that the federal government has consistently failed to meet its obligations to Tribal Nations.
“The promise of public safety is intended to be universal, but for Native people, it is a promise that has never been met with resources or reality,” she wrote. “Tribal Nations have a legal right to public safety resources as a part of the prepaid benefits included in numerous treaties signed with the United States. Tribes have never received the adequate resources they are owed and the impact is evident.”
