SAULT STE. MARIE, MI— Sault Tribal Chair Austin Lowes says the U.S. government needs to honor its obligations to tribes when it comes to funding critical social services.
Last week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at closing the Department of Education. That, Lowes says, combined with other announced cuts to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Services, has the potential to significantly impact tribes across the country. He says the government is treaty-bound to provide basic social services.
Currently, the U.S. Department of Education provides funding for schools that enroll students from low-income backgrounds, for children living on reservations, for students in rural districts, and for low-income and first-generation college students.
Lowes notes Trump also signed a January executive order calling for examining the use of Bureau of Indian Education funding for schools of choice options, including private, faith-based, and charter schools.
The chair of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is calling on President Trump to work with tribal leaders to leverage their experience to develop new ways to improve Indian education programs that honor the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations.
