- Details
- By Neely Bardwell
The U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Wednesday held an oversight hearing to discuss Native American education and the potential impact of the shuttering of the Department of Education (DOE).
The hearing entitled “Native American Education – Examining Federal Programs at the U.S. Department of Education” brought in Jason Dropik, Executive Director of the National Indian Education Association, Sydna Yellowfish, Director of Indian Education for Edmond Public Schools, Rosita Worl, President of Sealaska Heritage Institute, Nicole Russell, Executive Director of National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, and Ahniwake Rose, President and CEO of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.
The hearing was led by U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, and U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaiʻi), Vice Chairman of the Committee.
The hearing was held in reaction to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month directing Secretary Linda McMahon to begin dismantling the Department of Education through drastic Reduction in Force (RIF) and return education authority to the states.
Currently, more than 90 percent of Native students attend public schools, schools that fall under the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs frequently examines Indian education. Most often they discuss the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and how to bolster it, this hearing was for the Committee to get a better understanding on the impacts closing the Department of Education would have on Native communities.
“Given the major role that Department of Education funding plays in educating the next generation of Native students, I have heard—and I know many of my colleagues have heard—questions and concerns about recent proposals to alter or dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, as well as the recent Executive Orders calling for federal agency RIFs and reorganization plans,” Sen. Murkowski said in her opening statement. “We’re here today to better understand the Indian education programs at the Department of Education, how they impact Native students, families, and schools across our states, and why they must continue, and not be negatively impacted by these RIFs and reorganization plans. We are making real progress on the ground and we owe it to the Native youth across the country to make sure it is not interrupted.”
Vice Chairman Schatz explained that The Department of Education plays a critical role in fulfilling treaty promises through Impact Aid, Indian education programs, Native language revitalization, and more.
“Shuttering the Education Department would be devastating for Native students… more than 90 percent of whom attend public schools – as they will be at the mercy of state governments that have no trust or treaty responsibility to meet their unique needs. We have a duty to fight the president’s reckless plan on a bipartisan basis and protect Native students,” said Schatz.
Hearing witness Jason Dropik detailed the specific programs the Dept. of Ed. administers, including Title VI Indian Education, Impact Aid, and components of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
“Title VI, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) serves as a cornerstone of Native education policy, providing critical funding for academic enrichment, cultural programming, Native language revitalization, dropout prevention, and mental health supports specifically for American Indian and Alaska Native students,” Dropik’s testimony reads. “Title VI, Part B includes competitive grants which are tailored to the needs of Native Hawaiian
students and supports education programs, teacher development, and curricula that reflect Native Hawaiian culture and language. Title VI, Part C funds similar programs in Alaska Native communities, integrating tribal knowledge and traditional lifeways into the school experience.”
Sydna Yellowfish spoke to the importance of Title VI programs specifically for the Oklahoma school district she represents.
“The 401 school districts receiving Title VI programs throughout Oklahoma provide significant support. Without Title VI, we are not able to reach the estimated 90% of Indian students attending public schools this program was created for. However, to support the success of thousands of Native students it is critical that these programs continue and direct funding to school districts continues without interruption,” her testimony reads.
Rosita Worl gave the Committee specific programs at the Sealaska Heritage Institute that benefit from DOE funding.
“DOE’s support and federal funding allowed Native entities to develop culture-based programs. One notable example is SHI’s Baby Raven Reads program, designed to support early childhood literacy and to engage parents in their children’s education. This latter point is an especially important development. I am sure that you are aware that generations of Native children were institutionalized in boarding schools. They did not have the benefit of learning the value and practices of parental involvement in their children’s education. The involvement of parents in Baby Raven Reads activities led to phenomenal increases in childhood literacy,” Worl’s testimony reads.
Worl attests that while huge improvements are being made when it comes to Native child education, there is still a ways to go.
“I must also add that while we have made significant progress, Native student scores continue to trail behind reported averages for all students, especially after kindergarten, demonstrating that the need persists for continued Native educational funding,” said Worl in her testimony.
Nicole Russel spoke specifically to the importance of Impact Aid when it comes to Native education.
“Federally impacted school districts cannot afford stagnant or a loss of funding, given their continuing high student needs and high inflation. Despite its importance, Impact Aid has not been fully funded since 1969, leaving schools struggling to fill financial gaps,” Russel’s testimony reads. “Impact Aid was designed to fulfill the federal government’s obligation to federally impacted school districts, yet chronic underfunding and delayed payments undermines this responsibility.”
Finally, Ahniwake Rose spoke on behalf of tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), affirming the treaty and trust responsibilities the federal government holds to support Native education. Currently, over 80 percent of Indian Country is served by TCUs, operating more than 90 campuses and sites in 16 states.
“TCUs rely heavily on federal funding to provide a high-quality education. TCUs operate through numerous grants and programs provided by the federal government, which comprise over 75 percent of the annual budget. Very few TCUs are appropriated state funding to assist with operating expenses,” Rose’s testimony states. “Any funding cuts, freezes, delays in continuation grants, or any of this TCU-specific funding block granted and inefficiently rerouted through 50 different state governments would force TCUs to scale back vital programs and services that students rely on.”
Read the full testimonies here.
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