NM pueblos, tribes and nations receive funding for cultural education programming

New Mexico’s pueblos, tribes and nations recently received an initial $30 million allocation from the Indian Education Fund, following changes made to the Public Education Department’s Administrative Code last year.

According to a Legislative Education Study Committee report presented to LESC members this week, $90 million will be allocated to Native communities over a three-year period from fiscal year 2026 through 2028. Updates made to the code include creating two funding mechanisms — 80% awarded to federally and historically recognized pueblos, tribes and nations; and 20% allocated according to the number of Native students enrolled in public schools in those communities. The 20% of funds is also calculated by the number of students with an Individualized Education Program.

Funding is intended to assist education programming aligned with the Indian Education Act and directed at improving Native American student outcomes between grades 3 and 12, such as language and culture programs. 

Such supplemental funding is at the core of the long-running Yazzie/Martinez education equity lawsuit, which identified Native American students as at-risk. The court determined in 2018 that the state was not providing these students, along with English Language Learners, students from low-income households and students with disabilities, with adequate support. Parties in the case return to court to discuss the PED’s remedial action plan in September.

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Other changes to the administrative code include establishing requirements for schools and the PED to consult with tribal communities, removing application requirements for funding and preventing awarded funds from reverting back to the fund at the end of each fiscal year. PED Assistant Secretary of Indian Education KatieAnn Juanico told committee members on Thursday that the revisions to the code allow for “continuity” in programming between fiscal years and recognition of tribal sovereignty. 

“This has been integral to the way they plan within tribal communities. They’re not having to worry and think about the drop or the timing in spending from fiscal year to fiscal year,” she said. “At the Public Education Department, we’re still learning how to better meet the needs across all 22 pueblos, tribes and nations that have received the [funding].”

According to the LESC report, $23.4 million was awarded to 22 federally recognized Native communities and $5.8 million was awarded to Historically Defined Indian Impacted School Districts, or school districts that meet certain Native student population criteria. Remaining funds were directed to the PED’s Indian Education Division for two Government-to-Government Indian Education Summits and travel costs for IED and Education Advisory Council staff.

Juanico said the PED reports most of the allocated funding is being spent on salaries for supportive positions within school districts and tribal communities, including liaisons, language and cultural teachers, tutors, college visits and more. She highlighted Santo Domingo Pueblo, where students are taken on visits to cultural sites. 

“Not only are they learning about cultural sites that are integral to understanding our history as Native American people, but they’re also hearing the language and culture, interacting with elders on those out-of-school learning experiences,” Juanico said. 

She added that while time is needed to record student outcomes, she is already advocating for further funding beyond fiscal year 2028. Sen. Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) pointed out that elementary-level Native students have shown the greatest improvement in reading proficiency statewide in the last two years, improving by about 15%, emphasizing the importance of culturally-informed literacy support.