NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — A lawsuit was filed on Friday by three tribal nations and five Native American students against the Trump administration. The suit alleges that the administration failed to meet its legal obligations towards tribes after significant job cuts occurred at Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools in February. The cuts resulted from the administration's broader strategy to reduce federal agency budgets.
The lawsuit, initiated by lawyers from the Native American Rights Fund, targets the heads of the Interior Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the Office of Indian Education Programs. It represents the Pueblo of Isleta, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, claiming that they were not adequately consulted prior to the layoffs. The firings affected staffing at two colleges managed by the BIE: the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas.
At SIPI, nearly 25% of the staff were terminated, including nine instructors. The lawsuit contends that these layoffs compromised campus safety, leading to unresolved security and maintenance issues and contributing to two recent power outages. One affected student, Kaiya Brown, reported that her dormitory lost power for 13 hours, forcing her to seek alternative locations to complete her assignments.
Meanwhile, Haskell Indian Nations University experienced a loss of over 25% of its staff, which included key roles such as the Dean of Students and various instructional and support positions. The loss of essential personnel has reportedly resulted in the closure of the student center, delayed disbursement of financial aid, smaller meal sizes, inadequate restroom facilities, and classes being conducted by deans lacking specialized teaching expertise.
While reports suggest that some of the staff and faculty have been rehired, the lawsuit indicates that the BIE has cautioned these individuals that their positions might only be temporary and subject to further layoffs. When approached for comment, the BIA maintained its policy of not discussing ongoing litigation.
The BIE is tasked with providing educational services to Native Americans and Alaska Natives, fulfilling part of the U.S. government's trust responsibilities—those legal and moral obligations to uphold treaties, laws, and congressional acts that address tribal affairs. There are currently 183 Bureau-funded elementary and secondary schools across 64 reservations in 23 states, catering to approximately 42,000 Native American students, with 55 schools directly operated by the BIE and 128 managed by tribes.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has drawn attention to chronic understaffing at the BIE, which has hindered the agency's ability to provide adequate oversight and support to these schools. Hershel Gorham, the Lt. Governor of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, emphasized that one of the federal government's obligations to tribal nations is to engage in meaningful consultation before implementing actions that could adversely impact tribes. He criticized the lack of consultation regarding the layoffs, suggesting a gap in autonomy for agency officials like Secretaries Doug Burgum and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in prioritizing trust responsibilities towards Native Americans.
Gorham's statements reflect broader concerns about the ongoing struggles faced by tribal nations in navigating federal policies that directly impact their communities and educational institutions.
