Indian Country
Tribal Governance
The American Rescue Plan includes $900 million for American Indian and Alaska Native government programs administered under the oversight of the Department of the Interior’s Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. The disbursement plan includes $20 million for Potable Water Delivery, $100 million for Housing Improvement, and $772.5 million for Tribal payments and direct service for Tribal Government, Social Services, Public Safety and Justice, and Indian Child Welfare. More information about the allocation of this funding can be found at the Department of the Interior Indian Affairs website.
Schools
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The American Rescue Plan provides $850 million for Bureau of Indian Education-funded K-12 schools and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities. This funding will help alleviate the stress on students, teachers and administrators and support these schools crafting and implementing student learning recovery initiatives. The Bureau of Indian Education’s allocation plan for the $850 million is as follows:
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$535.5 million for the 183 K-12 schools in its school system based on the Weighted Student Unit formula
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$229.5 million for Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities based on student count
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$85 million will be managed by the Bureau of Indian Education School Operations for investments, such as the buildout of a Learning Management System and facility ventilation improvement projects
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The Bureau of Indian Education is using the same set of allowable costs identified by the U.S. Department of Education for CARES Act funding, which are outlined on the Bureau of Indian Affairs website.
Indian Health Service
Congress secured $6 billion in critically needed resources to the Indian Health Service (IHS) for vaccinations, health centers, mental health services and other vital health needs in Indian Country. Of the $6 billion allocated for IHS, $600 million will support increased vaccination efforts, $1 billion will increase contact tracing, drive through testing sites, and other public health efforts, and $2 billion will replace lost revenues for tribal health systems. Additional information on the federal response in Indian Country can be found on the IHS website.
Housing
The American Rescue Plan included $1.2 billion for tribal housing programs within the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Native American Programs. The Indian Housing Block Grant formula allocations can be found on the HUD website. Additional ONAP-American Rescue Plan resources can be found here.