Make Me Smart When the government shuts down, tribal communities get the shaft
Oct 14, 2025
Savannah Peters, a Marketplace reporter specializing in tribal affairs, reveals the harsh realities tribal communities face during government shutdowns. She explains how immediate service cuts in policing and food distribution hit hardest where federal funding is promised but often delayed. Drawing on lessons from past shutdowns, Savannah highlights the vast disparities among tribes in their ability to cope. Advocates are pushing for advanced appropriations to stabilize funding and alleviate the ongoing financial strain caused by budget dysfunction.
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Tribes Prepared With Contingency Plans
- Tribal leaders prepared contingency plans for the shutdown to avoid worst outcomes.
- They prioritized essential services like police, fire, and food distribution while pausing nonessential programs.
Last Shutdown Drained Tribal Resources
- The 2018–2019 shutdown drained tribal reserves and forced service suspensions across communities.
- Tribes experienced bare shelves, deferred road maintenance, closed childcare, and rationed health care.
Trust Responsibility Is Constitutionally Backed
- The federal government holds a constitutional trust responsibility to tribes for services like health and education.
- That trust is backed by treaties and Supreme Court rulings, making lapses legally fraught.