- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
A Harvard University analysis of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) pandemic relief funding showed that 30 tribes received more than half the $20 billion set aside for tribes, according to a report in Tribal Business News.
The study by scholars with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development (HPAIED) shows the distributions to more than 600 federally recognized tribes and tribal bands were vastly inequitable, largely because of formulaic choices made by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Tribes that were already wealthy, especially those with gaming, benefited due to inequitable Treasury Department formulas.
The Harvard Project team conducted the research using publicly available numbers on USAspending.gov, an open data source of federal spending information. The federal government uploaded complete and detailed tribal ARPA funding to the website on Oct. 6.
A dozen tribes each received more than $200 million, according to the analysis, including three — Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma — that each received more than $1 billion.
The top 12 tribal recipients received a total $7.95 billion, or approximately 40 percent of the $20 billion in ARPA funds available to tribes through the Treasury.
Eighteen more tribes received between $100 million and $200 million, meaning that a total of 30 tribes received approximately 51.6 percent of the total funds available for tribes under ARPA.
On the other end of the spectrum, 375 tribes and tribal entities received less than $10 million, and 28 received a minimum amount of $1 million, according to the Tribal Business News report.
The news of the funding inequities follows recent reports that tribes were alarmed by the Treasury's handling of ARPA funding. That spurred a group of U.S. senators to write to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to quickly establish an Office of Tribal Affairs.
“The recent tribal consultations and interactions between Treasury and tribal nations underscore the need for sufficient, dedicated, in-house expertise at Treasury on tribal policy matters,” the letter said.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsUS Presidents in Their Own Words Concerning American Indians
Native News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
Photographs of the Homecoming of the Three Fires Powwow
Peggy Flanagan on Minnesota Shootings: "We can’t become intimidated by this act of terrorism.”
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
