It’s no secret — The Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”) is looking at federal spending across the board.
While nothing specific has been said for Tribal funding at this time, is it worthwhile to be proactive?
Personally, I think it’s a healthy exercise for Tribes to consider and create contingency plans that can be used for a host of purposes, such as federal government shutdowns, grant award expirations (like ARPA), or perhaps Vivek Ramaswamy’s promised work ahead: “Entire agencies will be ‘deleted’ under DOGE’s recommendations to streamline government operations.”
I’ve been advocating for Tribal contingency planning for over a decade, and
this presentation I gave in 2013 to NCAI is still relevant today.
And I’m not trying to fearmonger – I’ve personally lived through the experiences of federal sequestration and two of the longest government shutdowns on record, and in my latest article,
Leading a Tribe Through a Government Shutdown: 3-Step Practical Guide, I go into the specifics on what to do. You can also hear this
NPR interview where I talked about those experiences.
It may not all be bad, though. Per Elon Musk, there may be some great opportunities that come with DOGE’s proposed work, and you can
hear my thoughts on that matter as well.
Not every Tribe needs my help, but if your Tribe’s finance team needs results-oriented, seasoned thought leadership to implement these strategies and navigate whatever financial challenges or opportunities we may face this year, let’s talk about working together 1-on-1. Just hit reply and let’s connect.
Cheers to a great start to the NEW year and I look forward to hearing back from you on your thoughts, questions, and suggestions. I have so much to share with you this year. 🙂
Stewarding Legacy,
Lacey Horn
CEO, Native Advisory LLC
www.nativeadvisory.com