The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) is excited to share a new 

 created through our coalition with over 20 tribal organizations. This hub was established to safeguard Indian Country's interests against ongoing executive orders and federal funding cuts, offering a wealth of resources to support Tribal Nations and communities.

Administrative and Congressional Letters:

 Stay informed with critical communications, including letters to House and Senate leadership on budget reconciliation, and letters to federal agencies such as the BIA, SBA, DoD, Treasury, HUD, OPM, DOI, EPA, HHS, and DHS.

 Participate in data collection to track the real-time impacts of federal policy changes. Surveys include initiatives from NARF, NIHB, NIEA, NICWA, and the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

 Access valuable tools such as talking points, framing papers, joint organization letters, and templates to aid your advocacy efforts as they become available.

 Find information about upcoming consultations, emergency strategy sessions, and the latest news stories impacting Indian Country, including executive orders, federal policies, and national developments.

This hub is a powerful tool for those working to uphold the nation-to-nation relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States. We encourage you to explore these resources, share your experiences through the surveys, and join us in advocating for the protection of tribal sovereignty and community well-being.


Explore Vital Resources for Indian Country: New Coalition Hub Now Live!

 | The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) proudly announces Mary Parker as our new Director of Communications. With over a decade of experience in public affairs, strategic messaging, stakeholder engagement, and tribal consultations, Ms. Parker brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record that will strengthen NCAI’s commitment to serving as the unified voice for Indian Country.

Ms. Parker joins NCAI following over six years at the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC), where she served as Public Affairs Manager and official spokesperson. In this role, she led public affairs initiatives, oversaw media relations, and managed the agency’s brand identity. Her leadership extended to supervising cross-functional teams and leading instructional design efforts to ensure clear and effective communications with Tribal Nations and the broader public.

Ms. Parker is a recipient of multiple leadership awards recognizing her dedication and impact, including being named to the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development’s prestigious "40 Under 40" list in 2020. Ms. Parker has an impressive academic background as well. She holds a Master’s degree in Administrative Leadership from the University of Oklahoma and is a doctoral candidate in Instructional Systems Design and Technology at Sam Houston State University. Her research focuses on digital equity and Native American education, reflecting her commitment to advancing educational opportunities and access for Native communities.

"Mary’s experience and deep understanding of tribal affairs, combined with her energetic and innovative approach to communications, make her a valuable new addition to our leadership team," said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. "We are excited to welcome her to the NCAI team and look forward to her insightful leadership in communications as we all continue our work to protect tribal sovereignty and uplift Indian Country."

In her new role, Ms. Parker will lead NCAI’s Communications Department, shaping the organization’s strategic messaging, strengthening media engagement, and ensuring NCAI continues to provide timely and impactful information to Tribal Nations, policymakers, and the public. Ms. Parker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

Please join us in welcoming Mary Parker to the NCAI team!

NCAI Welcomes Mary Parker as Director of Communications

On February 27, 2025, President Mark Macarro, Tribal Chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians and President of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), testified before the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. In his oral testimony, Macarro reaffirmed the unique government-to-government relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States, stressing that the federal government has obligations to provide essential services and support for tribal communities.

President Macarro reminded the subcommittee that these legal obligations are "rooted in treaties, trust obligations, the Constitution, and long-standing federal statutes." He continued, "In exchange for the land and resources that made the United States the great country it is today, Tribal Nations paid, in full, to retain their inherent right of sovereignty and for the programs and services they receive."

Tribal programs and funding are delivered as part of these trust and treaty responsibilities and are not race-based or discretionary.

With respect to trust responsibility, agencies should engage in official and direct government-to-government consultations with Tribal Nations during decision-making processes. One example is 25 U.S.C. § 2011, which, under the Indian Education Act of 1972, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act, statutorily requires tribal consultation to ensure quality education for all tribal members.

Federal employee staffing cuts have a profound, far-reaching, and potentially disastrous impact on Indian Country. For example, staffing cuts inside the Office of Indian Services at the Bureau of Indian Affairs have seen severe losses, so they no longer have the capacity to distribute funding to Tribal Nations under 

Tribal Nations are often vital economic engines for rural and isolated areas, and a reduction in federal funding or workforce is likely to impact Indian and adjacent communities disproportionately. For example, tribal communities' law enforcement, public safety, and justice are already woefully underfunded, with funding at only 12% of the estimated need.

President Macarro called for the preservation of tribal program funding and staff levels, stressing that Indian Country spending within the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Indian Health Service represents a small fraction of the federal budget. This fraction is approximately less than a quarter of 1% and should not bear the brunt of any proposed budget cuts.

The leadership of other tribal organizations testified alongside President Macarro, sharing testimony covering pertinent topics, including education, health, child welfare, social services, forestry, fisheries, and more. 

Additional details about the hearing and the live stream can be found 

Read President Macarro's Written Testimony 

NCAI Testifies Before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

Washington, D.C. – A coalition of Tribal organizations representing Tribal Nations and their citizens and communities is calling on the Administration to ensure that recent executive actions do not undermine the unique sovereign political status of Tribal Nations as sovereign nations with which the federal government has trust and treaty obligations, or disrupt federal funding that flows from those relationships for essential Tribal programs.

Following the issuance of multiple executive orders and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directives, concerns arose over freezes on federal funding that Tribal Nations and Tribal organizations, including urban Indian organizations, rely on to provide critical healthcare, economic development, education, and social services to Tribal communities. While OMB has since rescinded the initial memorandum, questions remain about how federal agencies will interpret and implement the Administration’s executive orders and policies moving forward.

Tribal Nations are not special interest groups—they are sovereign governments with a unique legal and political relationship with the United States and with their own Tribal communities. The trust and treaty obligations of the federal government are political and debt-based in nature. Tribal Nations’ sovereignty and the federal government’s delivery on its trust and treaty obligations must not become collateral damage in broader policy shifts.

The coalition emphasizes that federal funding for Tribal programs is not discretionary, but rather a legal mandate owed under the United States’ trust and treaty obligations and the many statutes that carry them out. The organizations urge the Administration to explicitly recognize Tribal sovereignty and trust and treaty obligations in the implementation of all executive orders and priorities and to ensure that federal agencies provide clear guidance that protects Tribal programs from unnecessary disruption.

As the Administration advances its priorities, it must do so in a way that respects Tribal sovereignty, strengthens self-determination, and delivers on trust and treaty obligations. We stand ready to work with federal partners to ensure that all policies and decisions uphold the government-to-government relationship between the U.S. and Tribal Nations.

The coalition will continue to advocate for Tribal sovereignty and fulfillment of the trust and treaty obligations and ensure that the voices of Indian Country are heard in Washington. A full copy of the sign-on letter can be found here: 

For media inquiries, please contact: ncaipress@ncai.org

American Indian Higher Education Consortium

California Tribal Chairpersons Association

Great Plains Tribal Chairmans Association

Native American Finance Officers Association

National American Indian Court Judges Association

National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers

National Indian Child Welfare Association

Northern California Tribal Chairperson’s Association

Self-Governance Communication & Education Tribal Consortium

Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association

About the National Congress of American Indians: 

Founded in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest, largest and most representative American Indian and Alaska Native organization in the country. NCAI advocates on behalf of tribal governments and communities, promoting strong tribal-federal government-to-government policies, and promoting a better understanding among the general public regarding American Indian and Alaska Native governments, people and rights. For more information, visit 

Tribal Organizations Urge Administration to Respect Tribal Sovereignty and Uphold Trust and Treaty Obligations Amid Executive Actions

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) applauds the White House nomination of William "Billy" Kirkland III to serve as Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. This position is critical to upholding the federal government’s trust and treaty responsibilities and ensuring the effective delivery of services to Tribal Nations and individuals.

Kirkland brings leadership experience in areas relevant to Indian Affairs, having previously served as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs from 2017 to 2021. Kirkland is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Georgia.

"NCAI looks forward to engaging with Kirkland upon his confirmation to protect and further strengthen the government-to-government relationship and advance policy priorities that support Tribal Nations," says NCAI President Mark Macarro. "We remain committed to working in partnership with the Department of the Interior to uphold tribal sovereignty."

Kirkland’s nomination will now be considered for confirmation by the Senate, beginning with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

NCAI Applauds the Nomination of William “Billy” Kirkland III for Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has issued a proposed rule for the federal tax status of tribally chartered entities, clarifying that wholly-owned tribal entities are not subject to federal income tax. This rule would also affect eligibility for certain clean energy tax credits through the Inflation Reduction Act reserved for entities without federal tax liability. This is the second set of proposed rules coming from the Treasury over the past few weeks regarding the sovereignty and self-determination of Tribal Nations and their economies.

"Sovereigns do not tax other sovereigns; governments do not tax other governments. This second tranche of new draft regulations respects tribal sovereignty as a foundation and puts a premium on tribal self-determination. The federal government understands that tribal revenue generation should not be taxed," said NCAI President Mark Macarro. "These draft rules make clear that the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS value the input of Tribal Nations and tribal leadership it has received through the years. This tilt toward embracing tribal sovereignty in federal rulemaking should not be anomalous. With the leadership Treasury has shown, now other agencies' leadership will see that the primacy of tribal government decision-making is valued."

This proposed rule comes after 30 years of Tribal Nations requesting clarification and consultations with Tribal Nations and the Treasury Tribal Advisory Committee. 

The U.S. Department of the Treasury will hold virtual tribal consultations on 

, and we urge Tribal Nations to participate in these historic conversations. 

The Treasury is accepting public comments in writing or electronically until 

Treasury Proposes Rule Regarding Federal Tax Status of Tribally Chartered Entities

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) commends the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) for releasing new proposed rules under the Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Act of 2014. These proposed regulations mark a critical step forward in recognizing and reinforcing Tribal Nations' sovereignty, allowing us to best meet the needs of our communities. For decades, NCAI has advocated for policies that honor this unique government-to-government relationship between Tribal Nations and the United States.

The proposed regulations, developed through extensive consultation with Tribal leaders, assert the primacy of Tribal prerogative. They uphold the principles of self-determination by recognizing that Tribal Nations are best equipped to meet their citizens' needs. By ensuring that vital funding for housing, education, and cultural preservation remains exempt from federal taxation, the rules enhance tribal governments' ability to serve their communities effectively and without unnecessary federal oversight, strengthening their capacity to fulfill their responsibilities.

Moreover, these proposed regulations demonstrate a profound respect for cultural diversity and preservation by empowering Native communities to define our cultural and ceremonial activities– a long-standing priority for NCAI. By acknowledging Tribal Nations’ authority to shape the scope and structure of our welfare programs, the Treasury affirms the importance of upholding tribal sovereignty.


NCAI urges leaders to actively participate in the ongoing consultation process to ensure the rules fully reflect the needs of Indian Country. Moving forward, NCAI remains committed to advocating for regulations that protect the intrinsic rights, economic opportunities, and cultural values of our Native communities.

Read the Treasury and IRS's press statement 

NCAI Statement on the U.S. Treasury's Proposed Tribal General Welfare Exclusion Rules

2025 Tribal Leaders Media Training & Communications Fellowship

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) celebrates the historic decision to grant clemency to Leonard Peltier, an 80-year-old elder of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, federal boarding school survivor, and one of the longest incarcerated Native American political prisoners. In his final moments in office, President Biden commuted Leonard Peltier's two life sentences, allowing him to serve the remainder of his sentence from home. While this decision does not exonerate Leonard Peltier for the crimes of which he was unjustly convicted, nor does it erase the decades of suffering and profound injustice he endured, it offers him the opportunity to return to his ancestral homelands and spend his remaining years with his loved ones – a long-overdue step towards justice that will allow collective healing for Leonard Peltier and the broader community. Upon learning about President Biden’s historic action, NCAI President Mark Macarro stated, “After nearly 50 years of unjust imprisonment, President Biden’s decision to grant Leonard Peltier the opportunity to return home is a powerful act of compassion and an important step toward healing.”

As we celebrate Leonard Peltier’s commutation, it is important to recognize that Leonard Peltier’s case has long symbolized the systemic injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples. This victory belongs to those who have fought for justice, especially those who refused to let the injustice against Leonard Peltier fade from public consciousness. This moment serves as a testament to the power of tireless advocacy, grassroots organizing, and intergenerational collective action by Tribal Nations, human rights organizations, and global allies.

Leonard Peltier is Going Home: A Step Toward Healing and Justice

, we commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Indian Self-Determination and Educational Assistance Act. Enacted on January 4, 1975, this pivotal piece of legislation marked a major shift in federal Indian policy. It authorized Tribal Nations to enter into contracts with the federal government for the provision of essential services. The goal was to shift control and autonomy of those services from Washington, D.C., to the tribes themselves. Join us as we explore the history and ongoing significance of this legislation to Indian Country.

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