Nestled within a 90-square-mile expanse of rural reservation nestled between the eastern Jemez Mountains and the banks of the Rio Grande River lies the Santa Clara Pueblo Community Library, a vital hub for the northern New Mexico tribe it serves. Access to the internet is limited across the Santa Clara Pueblo reservation, according to the tribe’s governor, James Naranjo, and resources for technology and literacy programs for its 1,700 members are already strained. The library heavily relies on federal grant funding to connect the tribe with essential services, a lifeline that may be in jeopardy due to budget cuts under the Trump administration.
The Santa Clara Pueblo’s library was among over a hundred libraries on federally recognized tribal lands nationwide that were informed by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that their congressionally allocated grants had been abruptly terminated. The IMLS, a federal agency that supports local libraries and museums, cited a shift in priorities and alignment with the President’s agenda as reasons for the funding cut.
A letter obtained by NBC News from a tribal grant writer highlighted the agency’s decision to repurpose its funding allocations, stating that the grant was no longer consistent with the agency’s objectives. The letter, signed by Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who was appointed as acting director of the IMLS, conveyed an abrupt change in direction following an executive order by President Trump to eliminate several federal agencies, including the IMLS.
The directive instructed the IMLS to halt operations, reduce staff, and provide proof of compliance with the order. Subsequently, the Department of Government Efficiency took action, placing most IMLS staff on administrative leave and terminating all grants except for those deemed as oversights. The spokesperson for the IMLS mentioned that the grant terminations were part of an evaluation process and some grants could potentially be reinstated if they align with the administration’s priorities, without specifying a timeline or criteria.
The widespread grant cancellations were part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration and the Department of Government Efficiency to streamline federal spending by freezing funds and implementing mass layoffs in various agencies. In response, the American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees filed a lawsuit against Sonderling, Trump, and the Department of Government Efficiency to prevent the dismantling of the IMLS.
US District Judge Richard Leon recently issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Trump administration from making additional cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff and grants. This decision was further supported by an injunction granted in a separate lawsuit filed by 21 state attorneys general. While the future of IMLS grants remains uncertain as litigation continues, President Trump’s proposed 2026 budget outlines defunding the IMLS entirely.
Tribal leaders express concerns that the potential loss of these grants could jeopardize essential library services for their communities. American Library Association President Cindy Hohl, a member of the Santee Sioux Nation of South Dakota, stressed the importance of advocating for the needs of sovereign nations and holding the federal government accountable. She emphasized the unique needs of tribal libraries and communities in preserving culture, language, and heritage.
The initial cuts targeted grant programs supporting library and museum services in rural Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian communities. The impact of these cuts is evident in communities like Igiugig Village in Alaska, where the only local library faces funding challenges for essential programs. Similarly, projects in Juneau dedicated to preserving Native Alaskan history have been affected.
The Santa Clara Pueblo, among others, received funding through the Native American Library Services Basic Grants program, crucial for supporting small, hard-to-reach Native American and Indigenous communities. The loss of these grants forces tribal leaders to consider difficult decisions to sustain their local libraries and museums.
For instance, Lt. Gov. Charles Suazo of the Santa Clara Pueblo highlighted the significance of their library in preserving traditional language and cultural heritage. Without adequate funding, the sustainability of crucial programs, like the Tewa language project at the P’oe Tsawa Community Library in Ohkay Owingeh, is at risk.
The potential consequences of these funding cuts extend beyond financial concerns; they threaten the preservation of cultural identity and knowledge within tribal communities. The fight to secure essential resources for tribal libraries and museums continues amidst uncertainty and challenges.
“These services are crucial,” stated Matthew Martinez, Lt. Gov. of Ohkay Owingeh. “Our library is a central hub within our tribal community in rural northern New Mexico.” The IMLS, established in 1996 and reauthorized by Trump in 2018, distributed $5.9 million in grants last year to 173 Native American and Indigenous tribes. Congress allocated $294.8 million to the agency in 2024.
The debate over whether the president has the power to halt the federal funding designated by Congress and already granted by the IMLS is at the heart of appeals made by tribal leaders and grant managers to Sonderling, seeking assistance for their community projects. The Makah Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington, faces the risk of losing a significant portion of the $149,779 Native American Library Enhancement Grant it received. The IMLS had not fully reimbursed the grant funds when the program was abruptly terminated last month, as per Janine Ledford, the executive director of the Makah Cultural and Research Center.
In a letter to Sonderling on May 7, Ledford shared, “This project has been instrumental in aiding individuals in their journey towards wellness amidst a concerning opioid epidemic on the Makah Reservation.” The Makah Cultural and Research Center, operating since 1979, emphasized that it had never before experienced a federal award offer being rescinded.
Tribal leaders expressed deep concern over the breach of contracts by the federal government towards sovereign tribal nations, evoking historical wounds. “Looking back at history, the federal government sent our parents and grandparents to boarding schools where our language was prohibited,” noted Martinez, the Lt. Gov. of Ohkay Owingeh. “We were punished for speaking our language, so now we are striving to revive our language and embed it into every aspect of our lives.”
