Current Administration Action & Indigenous Rights: The Impact of Executive Orders on Native Communities

January 31st, 2025

Contact: [email protected], 907-677-1700

Current Administration Action & Indigenous Rights: The Impact of Executive Orders on Native Communities

Paġlagivsi from First Alaskans Institute (FAI)!

In the last few days our tribes, communities, corporations, and nonprofits have been learning about and responding to federal administrative actions. The amount of information has been confusing for many of our organizations and communities. Cuts or funding freezes will have a huge impact on our communities; however, our values of respect and taking care of each other will continue to guide us. We have lived by our values for the last 10,000 years and we will thrive together for the next 10,000 years.   

The barrage of information coming to us from a variety of sources can be misleading, therefore we are doing our best to seek and track news that is accurate. On January 27th, the Trump administration announced an immediate freeze of federal grants, loans, and other funding related to the executive orders issued in the prior week; on January 29th, the funding freeze was rescinded.  

FAI Board of Trustees and staff stand in solidarity with our nonprofits, tribes, corporations and communities that face severe impacts from the proposed federal funding cuts outlined in the original Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memo. We believe that this action was rescinded because of the advocacy and efforts across the nation and by people in Alaska giving feedback to the administration. We have a temporary reprieve; however, we believe the funding cuts are still planned, and that they can severely impact Alaska in the coming months.   

FAI is also tracking a lawsuit that a coalition of national nonprofits has filed, challenging OMB’s Decision as unconstitutional.   

FAI President & CEO Apagruk Roy Agloinga shares, “The impact of the potential funding freeze can severely effect Alaska by eliminating critical funding for a variety of programs that keep our people healthy and safe. It is more important than ever that we educate and inform the administration and our legislators to ensure continued critical funding for our communities.”      

FAI will continue to work closely with other statewide service organizations to monitor the situation and provide updates as we learn more.    

We would like to encourage our communities to utilize their local, regional, and trusted resources to understand, navigate, and respond to the potential executive orders impacting their communities.   

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Listed below are a list of resources and updates provided to inform and support our communities: 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:  

STATE OF ALASKA:  

ALASKA CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION:  

 

NON-PROFIT/LOCAL GOVERMENT: 

  • Native American Rights Fund – to preserve and protect Tribal Nations: https://narf.org/ 

If you have any questions or would like to share your concerns about the executive orders and how they will impact your community, please contact [email protected]. We would love to hear from our communities on suggested resources to add to this current list.    

Quyana, Thank You, we could not continue our important work without you.