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- By Native News Online Staff
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) on Monday condemned the Trump administration's decision to rescind critical federal funding for Native American boarding school research, education, and preservation announced last month. The rescission resulted in more than $1.6 million in grants, primarily from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The full NCAI statement is here:
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) strongly condemns the Trump administration’s reckless decision to rescind critical federal funding for Native American boarding school research, education, and preservation. The abrupt rescission of more than $1.6 million in grants, primarily from the National Endowment for the Humanities, has derailed Indigenous-led efforts to digitize records, gather oral histories, and support healing in tribal communities.
“This action is not just a bureaucratic decision conjured in ignorance — it is a betrayal of our communities, our survivors, and our sacred responsibility to the children who never made it home,” said NCAI President Mark Macarro. “We will not allow the federal government to erase or defund truth. The Boarding School Truth and Preservation endeavor is non-partisan and is the first essential step for Americans to learn from this horrific federal policy.”
“The federal government has a moral and legal obligation to acknowledge and confront the truth about Indian boarding schools,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright, Jr. “This funding was never about politics — it was about healing. These cuts dishonor the memory of those who were taken and undermine the hard-won progress made by Native communities to uncover this history on our own terms.”
The boarding school era is not a distant history. It is a living, painful memory for many Native families. Our children’s stories, our ancestors’ resilience, and our communities’ healing journeys must be honored, not erased. Defunding these truth-telling initiatives is an attempt to silence the voices of survivors and deny the rightful place of Native histories in the national consciousness.
Indian Country stands firm: Native peoples will continue to protect, preserve, and elevate the truths that others seek to ignore.
The Trump Administration’s cuts strike a direct blow to organizations like the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) and other Native-led partners who have led the way in preserving and telling the truth about the federal Indian boarding school era. Their work is foundational to understanding and undoing the enduring impacts of this disgraceful period in American history.
NCAI calls on Congress to immediately restore these critical resources and to uphold the trust and treaty obligations owed to Tribal Nations. The erasure of Indigenous history is an act of violence – one that seeks not only to degrade Indian Country, but to rob all people of their right to truth, memory, and the freedom to shape their own future. It reflects a broader pattern of undermining tribal efforts when Native communities are seeking recognition and action. We will continue to demand truth, accountability, and justice for our ancestors, our communities, and our future generations.
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