Trump’s Policies Threaten Tribal Sovereignty

President Donald Trump’s policies will be threatening to tribal rights, tribal sovereignty, cultural identity, and to many of the legal and legislative wins of the past. Already Trump has signed two oil pipeline projects into construction after considerable opposition from Indian nations.
By executive order, Trump has temporarily stopped hiring in the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The hiring freeze will be lifted only after the Secretary of the Interior and the Office of Management and Budget devise a plan to significantly reduce staff. If the President gets his way, there will be significant reductions in hiring in the BIA. The Indian Health service got a reprieve on the temporary hiring freeze because failing to make hires might endanger patients. The President’s proposed budget threatens to significantly cut funding for the Department of the Interior. If his budget proposals are passed into law, most likely the BIA will suffer disproportionate budget cuts and employee reductions within the Interior department.