NCAI leaders warn new administration actions could threaten tribal funding; call for Congress to safeguard trust responsibilities

Mark McCarroll, president of the National Congress of American Indians and tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians, used the 2025 State of Indian Nations address in Washington, D.C., to press federal leaders to protect treaty and trust obligations and to secure timely funding for tribal programs.

McCarroll said recent actions by the new administration had “caused confusion and chaos,” and he urged tribal leaders to hold federal partners accountable. “These obligations are not optional. They are legally binding commitments that have been in place for generations now,” he said. He noted an Interior Department order that, in his recounting, explicitly reaffirmed that the department’s treaty and trust obligations to tribal nations remain intact.

Front‑line priorities McCarroll highlighted included healthcare parity, education, and tribal justice. He called for Congress to make funding for Indian health care mandatory and elevate the Indian Health Service director, and he urged expansion of culturally informed behavioral health services. On public safety he argued for sustained investment and singled out the Badges Act as a near‑term bipartisan fix that would let the BIA expedite background checks for tribal officer applicants and improve tribal access to national missing and unidentified persons systems.

McCarroll cited figures he attributed to federal programs and reports: he said the bipartisan infrastructure law directed $2,500,000,000 to the Indian Water Claims Settlement Completion Fund; that about 3,000,000 acres across 15 states were restored to tribal trust ownership under the Department of the Interior’s land buyback program; and that, quoting a BIA report to Congress, tribal public safety and justice programs meet “only 12% of identified funding needs,” which he described as a roughly $3,000,000,000 shortfall.

On economic and regulatory policy, McCarroll urged Congress and agencies to expand the Buy Indian Act to additional agencies, to adopt Treasury and IRS regulations recognizing the unique tax status of tribally owned entities, and to preserve revenue streams like gaming that many nations rely on. He also highlighted a new Center for Tribal Digital Sovereignty launched in partnership with Arizona State University and emphasized the need for tribal access to tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum (D‑Minn.), vice chair of the Congressional Native American Caucus, delivered the program’s congressional response and told the audience she is working with colleagues to monitor whether tribal programs are being excluded from any agency actions targeting DEI and environmental justice initiatives. “The memo was pulled back, but some of the funding still is being locked up and not moving forward,” McCollum said, urging tribes to report interruptions to members of Congress in real time.

Both McCarroll and McCollum urged tribal leaders to seek prior consultation on policy changes and to press for advanced appropriations so programs for education, justice and health are not disrupted. McCarroll closed by declaring “the state of Indian nations is strong” and urging unity and sustained advocacy as federal policies evolve.

What happens next: McCarroll said attendees would take the message to Capitol Hill during the week’s meetings and that NCAI and partner organizations would continue litigation and policy work as needed. No formal votes or binding commitments were taken during the session.