
Author: Singel
DOGE Plans to Close 41 Offices of the BIA, IHS, NIGC, and DOI Office of Hearing and Appeals – Probate Hearings Division
Below is a list of planned lease terminations pulled from the DOGE website on March 10, 2025. The list is likely incomplete and inaccurate, since DOGE’s “wall of receipts” has notoriously overstated its savings impact for federal taxpayers, requiring numerous corrections since it began posting details of its work.
The list below also includes plans for the closure of seven additional BIA offices. These additional closures were pulled from a table published by the Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee.
“The impact on Bureau of Indian Affairs offices will be especially devastating. These offices are already underfunded, understaffed, and stretched beyond capacity, struggling to meet the needs of Tribal communities who face systemic barriers to federal resources. Closing these offices will further erode services like public safety, economic development, education, and housing assistance—services that Tribal Nations rely on for their well-being and self-determination.” – Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee
Mark Macarro, President of NCAI, explained to the A.P. that funding for the BIA, IHS, and the BIE represents the lion’s share of the government’s obligations to tribes, and last year those departments made up less than a quarter of 1% of the federal budget. “They’re looking in the wrong place to be doing this,” said Macarro. “And what’s frustrating is that we know that DOGE couldn’t be a more uninformed group of people behind the switch. They need to know, come up to speed real quick, on what treaty rights and trust responsibility means.”
| AGENCY | LOCATION | SQ FT | ANNUAL LEASE |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | CARNEGIE, OK | 0 | $2,798 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | ST. GEORGE, UT | 750 | $50,400 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | FREDONIA, AZ | 1,500 | $22,860 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-CALIFORNIA | ARCATA, CA | 1,492 | $37,012 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJO | FARMINGTON, NM | 2,000 | $62,677 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | PAWNEE, OK | 7,549 | $156,171 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | SEMINOLE, OK | 9,825 | $184,770 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJI | BEMIDJI, MN | 4,896 | $133,916 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE -OKLAHOMA | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK | 5,000 | $119,951 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | WATONGA, OK | 2,850 | $38,573 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | PABLO, MT | 620 | $10,418 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | RAPID CITY, SD | 1,825 | $53,911 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | FORT THOMPSON, SD | 4,870 | $58,976 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | SISSETON, SD | 4,911 | $180,008 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJI | TRAVERSE CITY, MI | 798 | $28,638 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | ZUNI, NM | 2,117 | $39,819 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJO | GALLUP, NM | 20,287 | $322,529 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | ELKO, NV | 4,760 | $134,297 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | ASHLAND, WI | 34,970 | $649,408 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | SHAWANO, WI | 1,990 | $36,395 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE NAVAJO | SAINT MICHAELS, AZ | 40,924 | $1,074,931 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | PHOENIX, AZ | 71,591 | $1,784,239 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | REDDING, CA | 5,307 | $154,103 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | HOLLYWOOD, FL | 3,000 | $79,365 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-PHOENIX | ELKO, NV | 853 | $22,240 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-NASHVILLE | MANLIUS, NY | 2,105 | $37,648 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-NASHVILLE | OPELOUSAS, LA | 1,029 | $25,015 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-BEMIDJI | SAULT STE MARIE, MI | 1,100 | $34,375 |
| INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE-CALIFORNIA | UKIAH, CA | 1,848 | $45,857 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | PAWHUSKA, OK | 10,335 | $166,134 |
| NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION | RAPID CITY, SD | 1,518 | $43,938 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | TOPPENISH, WA | 17,107 | $533,985 |
| BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | BARAGA, MI | 1,200 | $14,400 |
| OFFICE OF HEARING AND APPEALS (PROBATE HEARINGS DIVISION) | RAPID CITY, SD | 2,252 | $53,198 |
| TOTALS | 270927 | $6,339,757 | |
| Additional Office Closures – House Natural Resources Committee List | |||
| BUREAU | LOCATION | PLANNED TERM. DATE | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | SHOW LOW, AZ | 1/26/2026 | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | TOWAOC, CO | TBD | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | LAPWAI, ID | 9/30/2025 | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | SAULT SAINT MARIE, MI | TBD | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | POPLAR, MT | TBD | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | FT TOTTEN, ND | TBD | |
| 1409: BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS | EAGLE BUTTE, SD | TBD | |
BIE to Hold Tribal Consultations this Friday on Executive Order requiring Interior to Prepare a Plan for use of Federal BIE Funds for Schools of Choice
EO 14191, titled “Expanding Educational Freedom and Opportunity for Families” and signed on January 29, 2025, includes a section that seeks the implementation of schools of choice using federal BIE funds for families with children eligible to attend BIE schools.
Section 7 of the Order provides:
Helping Children Eligible for Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) Schools. Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall review any available mechanisms under which families of students eligible to attend BIE schools may use their Federal funding for educational options of their choice, including private, faith-based, or public charter schools, and submit a plan to the President describing such mechanisms and the steps that would be necessary to implement them for the 2025-26 school year. The Secretary shall report on the current performance of BIE schools and identify educational options in nearby areas.
On February 28, 2025, the BIE issued a Dear Tribal Leader Letter announcing two expedited tribal consultation webinars for Tribal leaders and the public scheduled for this Friday, March 14, 2025. The links to register for either of Friday’s consultations are in the letter. Written comments can also be submitted by email to consultationcomments@bie.edu.
The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) has shared its concerns about BIE School Choice here.

NARF files suit on behalf of Tribes and Students Challenging Reductions at the Bureau of Indian Education, Haskell Indian Nations University, and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI).
The complaint, available below, was filed on March 7 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The Tribal plaintiffs include the Pueblo of Isleta, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, and the complaint names the Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Bryan Mercier, and Director of BIE Tony Dearman as defendants.


Job Announcements Update
We recently learned of a technical issue with the form we used to collect job announcements. The issue is resolved, and announcements can now be uploaded on our Google Form. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.
Deb Haaland officially launches campaign for governor of New Mexico
“If elected, she will be the first Native American woman to serve as a governor in the United States,” her campaign wrote.
Publication of Weekly Job Announcements
Thanks to everyone who submitted a job announcement for us to publish last week! And thank you to Angie Sanchez, our new ILPC graduate assistant at MSU Law, for posting the submissions.
Starting this Thursday, we’ll publish the job announcements in a condensed single post so we don’t overload your inbox if you’re a Turtle Talk email subscriber.
If you have a new announcement, please share it with us by uploading the information requested on this Google Form. If you have any questions, please email the MSU College of Law Indigenous Law & Policy Center at indigenous@law.msu.edu.
Webinar on ReIndigenizing the Law: Indigenous Legal Perspectives in the Pacific Northwest
Save the date! The American Indian Law Journal and the Center for Indian Law & Policy at Seattle University School of Law will host a day-long webinar on “ReIndigenizing the Law: Indigenous Legal Perspectives in the Pacific Northwest” on March 1, 2025 at Seattle University School of Law. The flyer is below, and you can register here.

Request for Job Announcements
The Indigenous Law & Policy Center at MSU College of Law has a new graduate assistant, Angie Sanchez, and is able to resume posting weekly job announcements. If you have a job announcement, please share it with us and we’ll post it here on Thursdays. Please share your job announcement by uploading the information requested on this Google Form. If you have any questions, please email the MSU College of Law Indigenous Law & Policy Center at indigenous@law.msu.edu.
MSU College of Law Indigenous Law & Policy Center job announcement: Communications Coordinator
Please share with your networks!
The ILPC is seeking applicants for the position of Communications Coordinator. The deadline for applications is October 30, 2023, and the job description and application instructions are available at the link below:
https://careers.msu.edu/cw/en-us/job/515337/communications-coordinator
Position Summary
The College of Law Indigenous Law & Policy Center (ILPC) welcomes candidates who have a passion for working in a context dedicated to indigenous rights advocacy; experience working with indigenous peoples and diverse groups of people; strong communication, event-planning, and organizational skills; and who exhibit a high degree of professionalism and the ability to work in a self-directed environment or in a group setting.
In addition to the Communications Coordinator, the ILPC also includes a Director and Legal Counselor. Center staff work closely to support pathway to law programs, recruit students, provide services to students, provide teaching and learning opportunities related to Indigenous law, produce original research and scholarship on Indigenous law, and host educational events for MSU Law and other public audiences including members of Tribal communities. MSU College of Law is also home to an Indian Law clinic that coordinates in some areas with the ILPC.
The Communications Coordinator assists the ILPC team by providing administrative support. In collaboration with the College of Law Director of Events and the Director of Communications and Marketing, the Communications Coordinator supports the ILPC by planning events and managing ILPC internal and external communications for students, prospective students, alumni, scholars, Indian law practitioners, Tribal leaders, members of Tribal communities, the broader Law College, and MSU communities.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Event Planning
- Fully coordinate and promote a two-day national Indian law conference co-hosted by the ILPC and the Tribal In-House Counsel Association (TICA) each fall for 28 speakers and 125 attendees.
- Plan an ILPC graduation event each spring.
- Plan biannual meetings of an ILPC tribal leader advisory group.
- Monitor ILPC events and conduct post-event reviews with ILPC staff.
- Coordinates lunches, speaking events, and ILPC visits for students interested in Indian Law.
- Plan and organize the annual ILPC conference: prepare annual event, communications, and marketing budgets.
- Plan monthly professional development and social events for ILPC students.
- Plan an ILPC welcome reception for students, faculty, and staff in the Native community at MSU College of Law, at MSU, and in the Lansing community.
- Plans other events aligned with the ILPC’s needs and strategic initiatives.
Communications, Marketing, and Outreach
- Draft ILPC correspondence and create newsletters for the ILPC community, students, and alumni.
- Draft and distribute a weekly internal newsletter for ILPC students informing them of upcoming ILPC events and other professional opportunities in Indian law.
- Draft and distribute a periodic internal and external newsletter for ILPC students, alumni, Indian law scholars and practitioners, and the broader public which reports on ILPC events and updates from faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
- Manage ILPC social media accounts and create content for them based on ILPC news.
- Update the ILPC web site with information about our programs and curricular offerings.
- Contribute content, including job announcements, on Turtle Talk, the nation’s leading blog on federal Indian law and Tribal law on WordPress (www.turtletalk.blog).
- Manage marketing materials that amplify and strengthen ILPC presence at MSU, Michigan tribal communities, and within Indian country.
- Manage the design, ordering, and distribution of ILPC marketing materials for students, prospective students, alumni, and guest speakers.
- Create and implement an annual ILPC communications strategy.
- Conduct outreach and liaise with internal University departments and outside educational institutions, including a national network of law schools.
- Prepare other communications aligned with the ILPC’s needs and strategic initiatives.
Office Administration
- Track and maintain the ILPC budget and submit ILPC expenses for reimbursement.
- Apply for grants from public and private sources to increase funding for ILPC events and strategic initiatives.
Travel
- Represent the ILPC at 1-4 recruitment events and Indian law conferences each year by coordinating and hosting an ILPC recruitment table at events (requires overnight travel).
Michigan State University College of Law is a diverse and inclusive learning community with roots dating to 1891 when it opened as Detroit College of Law in Detroit, Michigan. It moved to its current East Lansing location in 1995 and remained a private institution until 2020 when it became a fully integrated college of Michigan State University.
Today, MSU Law has more than 650 students, 55 faculty members, 50 staff members, five librarians, and a world-wide network of some 11,500 alumni. MSU Law operates seven legal clinics overseen by nationally recognized faculty that provide students an opportunity to work on actual legal cases. Additionally, it offers some of nation’s leading law programs in new and emerging legal education, including Intellectual Property and Trial Advocacy, Indigenous Law and Policy Center, the Lori E. Talsky Center for Human Rights of Women and Children, Conservation Law Center, and Animal Legal and Historical Web Center.
MSU College of Law, operating under the principles of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan, is poised to become the state’s preeminent law school, preparing a diverse community of lawyer-leaders to serve diverse communities in Michigan and beyond. It is committed to providing a legal education that is taught by leading scholars in their fields, includes best-in-class experiential opportunities, and helps students graduate without excessive debt.
Unit Specific Education/Experience/Skills
Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Communications, Telecommunications, Journalism, Marketing, or Public Relations; up to six months of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in internal communications; news, broadcasting, and print media, and/or marketing, advertising, and creative services; graphic design; word processing; desktop publishing; web design; presentation software; spreadsheet and/or database software; public presentation; or radio production; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

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