Overview:
The Trump administration’s proposed changes to the federal Head Start program could affect Tribal sovereignty by expanding state regulatory authority over Native Head Start programs and reducing federal recognition of Tribal language, culture, and self-governance in early childhood education.
Guest Opinion
We have one week left to speak out against the Trump administration’s latest violations of our treaty right to education, and therefore Tribal sovereignty.
Right now, the Department of Health and Human Services is proposing changes to the national Head Start program, which serves tens of thousands of Native and Alaska Native children.
HHS’s proposal would eliminate more than 1,400 federal requirements governing Head Start, including those that guarantee the protection of Native languages, culture, and management of Native Head Start programs.
One proposed change would require all Head Start programs to comply with state and local regulations, expanding local jurisdiction over a Tribe or Tribal organization. States do not have jurisdiction on Indian Reservations, only Tribal and federal laws are recognized due to our treaties.
Another change would no longer recognize Tribal language preservation, nor allow Tribal governments the authority to determine how Tribal language and culture are incorporated into Head Start curricula.
Over and over again, these proposed changes infringe on Tribal communities’ right to self-governance and treaty rights.
Judith LeBlanc (Caddo), executive director of Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, whixh is a partner to Native Organizers Alliance.
