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Roger Brandner, thanks very
much.

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you.
>> In northern Wisconsin,

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the state's two tribal
colleges stand to lose more

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than half of their federal
funding if Congress

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approves President Trump's
2026 budget next month.

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Here and now. Reporter Eric
Ayisi traveled to one of

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the colleges, Lac Courte
Oreilles Ojibwe University

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in Hayward, where they say
they are devastated but

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working with their tribal
leaders and Congress to

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maintain their funding
levels. This report is in

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collaboration with Icct,
formerly Indian Country

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Today.
>> Oscar Reo is a freshman

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education major at the Lac
Courte Oreilles Ojibwe

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also an enrolled member of
the Sainte Marie Tribe of

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Chippewa Indians.
Gingrich Gaza.

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to teach Ojibwe and Native
American language.

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>> I'm excited. I think
I'll get there pretty

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quickly here. There's a lot
of people that are good

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teachers and a lot of
people that speak Ojibwa

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here.
staff at tribal

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institutions like Lac
Courte Oreilles Ojibwe

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University are facing a
massive federal threat this

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October under President
Donald Trump's 2020 budget

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proposal, leaving Reo
educational goals ambiguous.

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>> I don't know about my
ability to continue, but I

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think there's a lot of
progress that's trying to

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be made here, especially
within the language program

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that hopefully doesn't get
halted because of it.

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>> The Trump administration
is requesting $22 million

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for post-secondary Indian
education programs,

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compared to $191 million
requested for 2025. Karen

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Breit, interim president of
the Lac Courte Oreilles

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Ojibwe University, says
federal funding is the

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university's major
operating resource.

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>> Over 80% of our funding
comes from federal funds.

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>> How will the university
survive?

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>> We're working on
different initiatives with

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our government on that side
of generating different,

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different revenue for the
institution.

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university is looking to
the Lac Courte Oreilles

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Ojibwe Tribal Nation and
other donors for support,

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but challenges with the
Department of Education

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persist.
>> We're the department

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administers our ability to
access federal funds right

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now. We're having some
struggles with that.

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>> Gabbard Wiggins NewsHour.
>> They are also struggling

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to keep university staff on
to address student advisory

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jobs eliminated by the Doe
like academic coaches.

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>> The institution is
working to to figure out a

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plan to to keep some of the
coaches with us so that

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they can continue to do the
work.

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>> Breit says the increase
in credit hours for Pell

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Grant eligibility could
affect half of the student

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population, who also work
part time.

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requirement would really
have a huge impact on their

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ability to to afford school.
>> 70% of the students here

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are Native American. The
United States has a federal

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trust responsibility to
provide support for Native

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Americans in exchange for
their land.

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>> It is an obligation. It
is an in the treaties. It

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is in writing and a promise
that was made. And

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education is part of that
promise.

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administration aiming to
cut at least 80% of funding

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to the Bureau of Indian
Education for 2026. The

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impact will be felt here on
campus and in the

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surrounding community.
>> Tribal communities are

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often in rural areas,
remote areas of the country,

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and so having access to
higher education within

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within your home community
is tremendous for for

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tribal people.
>> The House Subcommittee

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on Appropriations approved
$1.5 billion for the Bureau

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of Indian Education in July.
However, those funds were

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not specified for tribal
colleges and universities.

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>> No vowels are Teigen
none.

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academic year with a
potentially massive federal

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funding reduction lurking
in Congress.

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>> They're trying to start
new programs and new hire,

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new teachers and everything.
And hopefully that doesn't

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get messed with.
>> Reporting from the Lac

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Courte Oreilles reservation.
Courte Oreilles reservation.