Across Oklahoma, the shutdown will have varying impacts on tribes.
Bobby Gonzalez is the chairman of the Caddo Nation, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in southwest Oklahoma with more than 7,000 citizens. He worries about how the federal government shutdown will affect education, housing, healthcare and other tribal programs, but noted his government prepared the best they could for this situation.
"The freeze and the government shutdown, hopefully, won't disrupt our programs," Gonzalez said. "If the [federal] government continues to shut down for 35 or 45 days, yes, there are impacts. There could be furloughs. There could be impacts greater than what we realize because we depend on those competitive grant funds that we go after."
A group of Indigenous organizations from across the US, called the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty, sent a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, on Tuesday amid the threat of furloughs and reduction in force, or RIF, caused by a lapse in appropriations.
"Allowing a government shutdown with no exemption for federal employees serving Indian Country decimates the ability of the United States to carry out its sacred obligations to Tribal Nations, Tribal citizens, and Tribal communities, disrupts our economies, threatens our public safety, and undermines public confidence in our institutions," the letter said.
Several federal agencies — including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Indian Health Service — offer direct services or funding to tribal nations, making the implications of this shutdown, coupled with President Trump's threat of federal layoffs, even more severe.
Under the current BIA contingency plan, over 35% of its agency employees are expected to be furloughed. Services deemed essential to protect life and property will be retained, such as BIA law enforcement, detention centers and fire management.
During a 2019 shutdown, tribal nations faced added public safety challenges for children using school buses after BIA road maintenance workers were furloughed. Tribes also had to front administrative costs – such as rent and utilities – and some were forced to lower or halt their food distribution and social service programs entirely.
"What is going on at a higher level is not our fault, but it is our problem," Gonzalez said.
The shutdown will not hinder tribal citizens' access to clinical services at the Indian Health Service. IHS will continue its usual operations because it has advance appropriations.
"100% of IHS staff will report for work, and health care services across Indian Country will not be impacted," the federal agency said in a statement.
While the lapse in appropriations is a concern for tribal nations, not all of them are affected equally.
Cherokee Nation and Quapaw Nation leaders expressed similar sentiments, hoping for a swift solution and that they can weather the current turbulence.
"The Cherokee Nation maintains sufficient financial stability to navigate the immediate impacts of a federal government shutdown, but we're hopeful that Congress's foresight to provide an advanced appropriation for the Indian Health Service will prevent any severe disruptions as experienced during the 2013 and 2018 shutdowns," Hoskin Jr. said.
A Quapaw Nation statement said citizens should not experience any negative impacts to social services and will not face disruptions to the programs and services they rely on.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
