Background
Federal policy and directive around artificial intelligence (AI) has shifted considerably in recent years. In 2023, President Biden issued EO 14110, Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, which emphasized safety, equity, worker protections, and privacy in federal AI policy.
On June 6, 2025, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a policy notice amending the Broadband Equity, Access, and Development (BEAD) program requirements.
While the NTIA describes this as a “restructuring,” the amendment significantly departs from the program’s original requirements.
For Tribal Nations, the rise of AI represents a critical juncture. This technology holds potential to expand resources and enhance access across key industries such as healthcare, law and finance. With intentional policy frameworks and proactive Tribal governance, AI could strengthen self-determination and sovereignty. But without strategic oversight and culturally-informed design, it also risks deepening existing disparities; exacerbating employment displacement, cultural misrepresentation and worsening gaps in digital access.
In rural Tribal communities across the United States, public radio is more than a source of news and entertainment; it's a lifeline. These stations deliver critical infrastructure for communication and connection, especially in areas where broadband access and even phone lines remain limited or nonexistent. Tribal radio broadcasts emergency alerts during storms, helps locate missing persons, shares local news, and preserves language, memory, and identity.
The federal budget consists of both mandatory and discretionary spending. Mandatory spending, such as the annual costs of programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, is determined by formulas and program eligibility criteria outlined in existing laws.
Congress is actively working to finalize this year’s federal budget bill, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the Act). The Act reflects the Trump Administration’s budget and policy priorities for Fiscal Year 2025, including many related to wireless spectrum.
Across the country, American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students, citizens of sovereign Tribal Nations, are reaching an incredible milestone: graduation. For many, this moment is marked not only by receiving a diploma, but through wearing items of deep personal and cultural significance, such as eagle feathers, beaded caps, or traditional clothing. Tribal regalia is not only a meaningful expression of culture and community, it is also a reflection of constitutionally and federally protected rights.
This brief follows up on the recent AIPI Policy Explainer: Federal Trust Responsibility and Higher Education, which clarified the status of programs supporting American Indian students in higher education in response to recent legal and policy developments by explaining that Federal relationships with Tribal Nations and their citizens/members are based on political distinctions rather than racial classifications.
This explainer clarifies the status of programs supporting American Indian students in higher education in response to recent legal and policy developments. Federal relationships with Tribal Nations and their citizens/members are based on political distinctions rather than racial classifications. The framework outlined in this document reflects the federal government’s unique relationship with and obligations to Tribal Nations.
Legal Framework