Three dozen or so tribal colleges and universities were on the brink of being shut down due to proposed funding cuts by the Trump administration, but one of the nation's most prestigious arts schools has secured its future — at least for now.
The Institute of the American Indian Arts — or IAIA — is synonymous with the Southwest. Housed in Santa Fe, it's where some of Indian Country's most creative minds have gone to hone their craft in New Mexico.
More than 4,000 students have graduated from there since 1962. But lately, it became the target of budget cuts by the White House, which sought to eliminate its federal funding entirely.
"There was a lot of uncertainty, just kind of wait and see – wait and see," said Shelly Lowe, president of IAIA. "We just knew that they were hoping to make sure that we got funding, so it was kind of nerve-racking."
Lowe, who grew up in Ganado, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, was named the institute's president this summer after chairing the National Endowment for the Humanities under former President Joe Biden.
Congress passed a bill this month that included a $13 million authorization for the school — the same amount from last year. Lowe shared an important lesson she's learned from this ordeal about outreach, especially for appropriators.
"It puts the institution in the situation to be much more cognizant and aware of what kind of information we're giving them," added Lowe, "having regular and open dialogue with them, keeping them up to date on what we're doing and making sure that we are doing everything we can to tell our story."
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