While Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.has repeatedly vowed to safeguard and enhance health services for native Americans, including during a late-January Senate confirmation hearing and an April visit to Arizona, tribal leaders remain skeptical.

Kennedy’s department did reverse planned layoffs for the Indian Health Service (IHS), the federal agency responsible for providing healthcare to Native Americans and Alaska Natives. he also assured KFF Health News during his April visit to Arizona’s Navajo Nation that broader budget cuts at HHS would not affect Native American communities.

However, tribal leaders report experiencing negative consequences from the widespread reorganization across federal health agencies. They cite incomplete public health data and less reliable agency communication. The National Indian Health Board also informed Kennedy in a May letter that tribes have lost at least $6 million in grants from other HHS agencies.

“There may be a misconception among some of the management that Indian Country is only impacted by changes to the Indian Health Service,” said Liz malerba, a tribal policy expert and citizen of the Mohegan Tribe. “That’s simply not true.”

Native americans experience higher rates of chronic diseases and shorter lifespans compared to other populations, disparities rooted in historical systemic discrimination. The Indian Health Service has faced chronic underfunding and understaffing, leading to gaps in care.

Janet Alkire, chairperson of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas, testified during a May Senate hearing that the canceled grants had supported community health workers, vaccinations, data modernization, and other public health initiatives.

Impact of Funding Cuts on Native American Programs

Several programs,including those aimed at Native American youth interested in science and medicine and those increasing access to healthy foods,were cut due to alleged violations of the Trump administration’s ban on “diversity,equity,and inclusion.”

“This is not just a moral question of what we owe Native people,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). “It is indeed also a question of the law.”

Native leaders and organizations have requested tribal consultation, a legally required process when federal agencies consider changes affecting tribal nations. Janet Alkire and other tribal leaders stated at the Senate committee hearing that federal officials had not responded to these requests.

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) emphasized the legal obligation to consult with tribal nations, stating, “this is not just a moral question of what we owe Native people, it is also a question of the law.”

While the Indian Health Service was largely spared from widespread staffing cuts, tribal governments and organizations have experienced funding losses in other areas due to federal health agency cuts.