Roger Brandner, thanks very much.
you. >> In northern Wisconsin,
the state's two tribal colleges stand to lose more
than half of their federal funding if Congress
approves President Trump's 2026 budget next month.
Here and now. Reporter Eric Ayisi traveled to one of
the colleges, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University
in Hayward, where they say they are devastated but
working with their tribal leaders and Congress to
maintain their funding levels. This report is in
collaboration with Icct, formerly Indian Country
Today. >> Oscar Reo is a freshman
education major at the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
also an enrolled member of the Sainte Marie Tribe of
Chippewa Indians. Gingrich Gaza.
to teach Ojibwe and Native American language.
>> I'm excited. I think I'll get there pretty
quickly here. There's a lot of people that are good
teachers and a lot of people that speak Ojibwa
here. staff at tribal
institutions like Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe
University are facing a massive federal threat this
October under President Donald Trump's 2020 budget
proposal, leaving Reo educational goals ambiguous.
>> I don't know about my ability to continue, but I
think there's a lot of progress that's trying to
be made here, especially within the language program
that hopefully doesn't get halted because of it.
>> The Trump administration is requesting $22 million
for post-secondary Indian education programs,
compared to $191 million requested for 2025. Karen
Breit, interim president of the Lac Courte Oreilles
Ojibwe University, says federal funding is the
university's major operating resource.
>> Over 80% of our funding comes from federal funds.
>> How will the university survive?
>> We're working on different initiatives with
our government on that side of generating different,
different revenue for the institution.
university is looking to the Lac Courte Oreilles
Ojibwe Tribal Nation and other donors for support,
but challenges with the Department of Education
persist. >> We're the department
administers our ability to access federal funds right
now. We're having some struggles with that.
>> Gabbard Wiggins NewsHour. >> They are also struggling
to keep university staff on to address student advisory
jobs eliminated by the Doe like academic coaches.
>> The institution is working to to figure out a
plan to to keep some of the coaches with us so that
they can continue to do the work.
>> Breit says the increase in credit hours for Pell
Grant eligibility could affect half of the student
population, who also work part time.
requirement would really have a huge impact on their
ability to to afford school. >> 70% of the students here
are Native American. The United States has a federal
trust responsibility to provide support for Native
Americans in exchange for their land.
>> It is an obligation. It is an in the treaties. It
is in writing and a promise that was made. And
education is part of that promise.
administration aiming to cut at least 80% of funding
to the Bureau of Indian Education for 2026. The
impact will be felt here on campus and in the
surrounding community. >> Tribal communities are
often in rural areas, remote areas of the country,
and so having access to higher education within
within your home community is tremendous for for
tribal people. >> The House Subcommittee
on Appropriations approved $1.5 billion for the Bureau
of Indian Education in July. However, those funds were
not specified for tribal colleges and universities.
>> No vowels are Teigen none.
academic year with a potentially massive federal
funding reduction lurking in Congress.
>> They're trying to start new programs and new hire,
new teachers and everything. And hopefully that doesn't
get messed with. >> Reporting from the Lac
Courte Oreilles reservation. Courte Oreilles reservation.