Native Leaders Say Tribal Education Trust Fund Would Be Game Changer
, 2023-01-19 13:30:00,
Education programs run by New Mexico’s Native American tribes depend in part on funds from the state, but access to those dollars makes it difficult to complete all the work they imagine.
Tribal leaders and preachers have long pressed for change. This year they want to make it happen.
Each year, tribes can apply for grants, and if their application is approved, they must first spend the money and then submit documents to the state for compensation.
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On paper, it seems obvious. But in reality, tribes sometimes can’t spend all the money on an artificial deadline. In the 2020-2021 fiscal year, 22 tribes received grants under the Indian Education Act but only two reimbursement request for the full amount given to them.
It is a cycle that repeats year after year, which hinders their ability to achieve the vision of their children’s education.
As state lawmakers head into the 2023 legislative session with a multibillion-dollar surplus, Rep. Derek Lenti, a Sandia Pueblo Democrat, said he would introduce legislation to create a $50 million tribal education trust fund that would provide automatic funding to tribes each year.
The tribes will use the annual interest earned from the trust money for language revitalization efforts and resources such as wi-fi and job readiness programs, among other priorities. Lenti said this would give the tribes greater autonomy. Tribes can…
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