Let’s Talk New Mexico, 8/21/25, 8am: In early June, the Trump Administration proposed a significant reduction in federal funding for tribal colleges and universities as part of its fiscal year 2026 budget request. This proposal calls for cutting funding to postsecondary programs under the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) from the current $183 million in 2025 to just $22 million in 2026, a nearly 90% reduction. These cuts are included in the Department of the Interior’s budget brief but have not yet been enacted by Congress.
On the next Let’s Talk New Mexico we’ll ask, where does this leave our region’s tribal colleges and universities? We’ll talk to academic and political leaders and Indian law attorneys to see how these federal cuts will impact students, staff, faculty and the communities they serve. We’ll also explore the complexities of tribal obligations and treaties between federally recognized tribes and the government. Share your thoughts at letstalk@kunm.org, leave a voice message by clicking the link above, or call in live at (505) 277-5866 Thursday morning at 8.
Guests:
- U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D)
- Shelly Lowe (Navajo), President, Institute of American Indian Arts
- Milton Bluehouse Jr. (Navajo), Associate Professor, Diné College
- Sherri Thomas (Taos Pueblo), Director, Law and Indigenous Peoples Program, University of New Mexico School of Law
