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Department of Native American Affairs reports ARPA subgrant spending, seeks staff and museum support
Summary
The Department of Native American Affairs told lawmakers it has advanced roughly $15 million of a $20 million ARPA tribal subgrant program, requested staffing and basic operational enhancements as a new stand‑alone agency, and sought small cultural center supplies and a point‑of‑sale upgrade for the Stewart Indian School museum.
The Department of Native American Affairs told a joint budget committee that its grant and cultural programs are advancing and that modest budget enhancements would help the new stand‑alone agency expand services.
Executive Director Stacy Montooth said the department became a standalone agency on July 1 and has expanded staff from the five positions she inherited to eight (with a ninth position expected). She told the committee the department has administered a $20 million ARPA “Grants to Tribes” subgrant program that set an available allocation of $714,000 per eligible tribal nation and that the office has advanced nearly $15,000,000 of those funds so far. The department has four tribes that have completed projects and closed their grants; other tribes are using funds for infrastructure, community centers, people movers and ongoing programs such as food pantries.
Montooth said the original subgrant spending deadline was December 2026 and the department recently requested a $4.5 million advance from the ARPA team to continue reimbursements so the office can complete the program and close remaining awards. She emphasized tribal uses vary by community need and include infrastructure, services and program support.
For the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum (Stewart Indian School Living Legacy), Montooth said the division has added a full‑time curator and seeks small enhancements for supplies to expand in‑person workshops (weaving, cooking and other hands‑on classes) and requested a point‑of‑sale system so the museum can move beyond cash‑only sales.
Committee members asked about OCIO services; the director said the department contracted with OCIO for IT services after separating from its former host agency and that the roughly $30,000 enhancement for OCIO services is an initial allocation to cover those cost‑allocated IT services. Montooth said OCIO had already upgraded the department’s server and provided onboarding support.
A public comment caller representing tribal nations voiced support for both the department and the Stewart Indian School Living Legacy project and urged continued legislative support for the programs.
