Native nations have not been immune to scrambles over federal funding and grants. Layoffs and buyout offers also hit staff working for the Indian Health Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Bureau of Indian Education, although some reductions have been rescinded.
Seneca Nation President J.C. Seneca was on Capitol Hill, speaking to legislators about the importance of federal support.
"Our nations have been in a political relationship of peace and friendship with the United States since 1794 when we signed the Canandaigua Treaty," opened Seneca in his remarks. "This treaty supported the United States at a critical time in your history and aligned our warriors with yours to defeat the British during the War of 1812."
Highlighting the long standing relationship between the United States and Haudenosaunee nations, like the Seneca Nation, was at the center of Seneca President J.C. Seneca's visit to Capitol Hill in front of the House Subcommittee on Interior and Environment. This as fears that funding to Native governments could be swallowed up in attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, and "environmental justice" initiatives.
"The US Constitution specifically recognizes Indian nations as separate sovereign governments. For this reason, it is important to note that we are not a racial group. We are not part of any diversity, equity or inclusion program, nor are we any part of any environmental justice program. We are sovereign nations of indigenous people," he told the subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ryan Zinke of Montana. "Because of this status, the federal funds and programs and employees that benefit federally-recognized Native nations should be exempt from any broad based executive orders and workforce reductions."
Seneca also highlighted the EPA, who's programs for protecting Seneca Nation water and natural resources from contaminants — often by non-Native industrial and government entities — is paramount.
"Our people live downstream from a federal nuclear waste repository at West Valley," the president said. "We also live downstream from the city of Olean that regularly dumps raw sewage into our Allegheny River, and we suffer from long standing contamination from the railways that go through our lands."
The EPA is a target of President Trump's government efficiency efforts. Seneca proposes having the feds provide environmental funding to Native nations through the Indian self determination and Education Act, which could keep the work intact while shifting more responsibility and oversight to Native nations.
"Allow Native nations to coordinate and consolidate federal funding, provide more flexibility and reduce administrative burdens," he said. "The Seneca Nation utilizes approximately six different programs at the EPA, and streamlining the process through self governance at EPA would help our governments and yours."
