Is the U.S. Native Education in Great Danger ?

The Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) is a component of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and operates under the Department of the Interior (DOI). The federal government holds a fiduciary responsibility to provide resources and funding for Native education, a commitment established through numerous treaties and legal precedents based on Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution. The BIE is the primary instrument for fulfilling this legal obligation.

The official mission, as stated on their website, is as follows: "The United States has a trust and treaty responsibility to provide eligible Indian students with a quality education. The BIE serves as a capacity builder and service provider to support Tribes in delivering culturally appropriate education with high academic standards to enable students across Indian Country to succeed."

The funding provided by the BIE supports classroom instruction, student transportation, Native language development programs, cultural enrichment, gifted and talented programs, behavioral health and wellness services, school safety and security, and investments in educational technology. For the fiscal year 2024, the President’s Budget allocates $1.6 billion in current appropriations, reflecting a $209.2 million increase from the enacted level in 2023.

This budget aims to strengthen the BIE’s autonomy as a federal agency and improve local services for both tribally controlled and bureau-operated schools, while also promoting equity for historically underserved Tribal communities. BIE estimates that the budget will support the staffing of 3,264 full-time equivalents (FTEs) in 2024.

The Bureau of Indian Education provides educational services to approximately 46,000 students, with an average daily membership of 40,000 students across 23 states, 169 elementary and secondary schools, and 14 dormitories. Currently, 128—about 70 percent—of BIE-funded elementary and secondary schools, as well as dormitories, are tribally controlled and operate under the direction of individual Tribal governments. Additionally, the BIE provides funding to 33 Tribal colleges, universities, and postsecondary schools.

According to Business Insider, the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk as a "special government employee," has not yet targeted the BIE. However, the Department of Education, which funds programs for young Native Americans, is expected to be dismantled.

Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.) has expressed concerns about the future of tribal education programs in Native American communities if the Trump administration and Musk eliminate the Department of Education. She argues that the administration has been preparing to either relocate these programs to the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education or terminate them entirely. Stansbury contends that these actions would violate several laws and federal trust obligations. She has raised alarms about a clause in Trump’s executive order that echoes the termination era of the 1950s, when the U.S. government sought to end its obligations to tribes. The executive order suggests exploring "school choice," a term typically associated with promoting private schools but which does not apply to schools funded through tribal responsibilities. This raises concerns about the future of the Bureau itself. Stansbury stated, “It felt reminiscent of tribal termination and McCarthyism. We need to raise awareness and ensure the Trump administration does not pursue this path.”  The Whitde House refused to comment.