Tribal college will keep 80% of budget after congressional appropriation

The Institute of American Indian Arts, a Santa Fe-based art school with a largely Native American student body, will be able to retain most of its budget in the face of cuts by the Trump administration after an appropriation by Congress.

The school announced Tuesday that it will receive nearly $13.5 million — almost 80% of its budget — from the federal government after Congress approved a bill guaranteeing the school would receive the funds.

The appropriation is included in House Resolution 6938, a bill that contains funding for federal agencies, law enforcement and environmental initiatives. The measure received bipartisan support.

IAIA President Shelly Lowe said Friday school officials were “delighted” to receive the appropriation.

“We’re excited to have so much support in Congress, and we’re looking forward to ensuring that we continue everything that we have been doing as normal,” Lowe said.

The funding “allows IAIA to continue empowering creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts and cultures through higher education,” she said.

In June, ProPublica reported that the Trump administration intended to cut 90% of funding for the country’s 37 tribal colleges and universities, including IAIA — part of a broader push by the administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion-focused programs.

Federal lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., pledged their support for the school and said they hoped to secure funding despite cuts, according to former IAIA President Robert Martin.

“As someone who has always championed both Tribal sovereignty and returning the appropriations process to regular order, I am very pleased to see the Interior and Environment Bill move through the legislative process,” Cole said in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, D-N.M., touted the importance of the college in a statement Tuesday and praised Democrats and Republicans for coming together in support of the measure.

“Art is a vital pathway to understand culture, identity and heritage, and IAIA is one of the best institutions in the country doing just that,” Leger Fernández said. “That’s why I fought so hard to secure this bipartisan funding for this beautiful institution.”

 Natalie Robbins covers education for the Journal. You can reach her at nrobbins@abqjournal.com.