Tribal Communities Face Food Security Crisis as SNAP, WIC Funding Cuts Loom

Tribal communities across the United States are preparing for a significant food security crisis as funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) faces imminent cuts. This situation arises from the ongoing government shutdown, leaving many tribal nations scrambling to find alternative food sources and assistance.

Impending Cuts Heighten Food Insecurity

According to Sarah Harris, the secretary of United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc., the uncertainty surrounding SNAP and WIC benefits is forcing tribal nations to allocate their own resources to meet the basic nutritional needs of their citizens. During a recent hearing with the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Harris stated, “Given the emergent nature of all of this crisis, tribes are scrambling, and so they’re spending their own time and resources to provide the most basic of human needs — food — for their citizens.”

A specific example highlighted by Harris included the actions of Kirk Francis, the president of the Penobscot Indian Nation, who is reassigning $200,000 to address the nutrition funding gap for the month of November. This funding will also support efforts to solicit donations of loose meat from tribal hunters to ensure that elders receive adequate nutrition.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2024 indicated that food insecurity rates among American Indian and Alaska Native households are significantly higher than those of the general U.S. population. The lack of federal support for SNAP and WIC exacerbates existing challenges faced by these communities.

Congressional Inaction Leaves Communities Vulnerable

The failure of Congress to secure funding for SNAP and WIC, two critical programs managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has left approximately 42 million people at risk of losing essential nutritional support. USDA has announced it will not utilize its multi-year contingency fund, which had previously been indicated as a potential lifeline during the shutdown.

The WIC program, which provides nutritional assistance to nearly 7 million participants, received a temporary infusion of $300 million to sustain operations through October. With November on the horizon, advocates are urging the Biden administration to allocate further emergency funding to avert a crisis.

In addition to the pressure on food resources, Ben Mallott, president of the Alaska Federation of Natives, expressed that without SNAP and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), tribal citizens will be forced to choose between purchasing food or fuel to heat their homes during the winter months. This situation is particularly dire for elders who often live alone and lack family support.

Senator Lisa Murkowski, who chairs the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, acknowledged the critical nature of the “food versus fuel” dilemma, especially in light of a recent typhoon that caused extensive damage to food supplies in Alaska. Murkowski described the scene of devastated freezers, once stocked with subsistence foods, now rendered useless due to power outages.

Addressing the urgency of the situation, Murkowski stated, “This is a point that for many in Alaska is tangibly real and tangibly frightening, and so, everything that we can do to make sure that SNAP and WIC funding is able to proceed has got to be a priority for us.”

Local Efforts and Alternative Solutions

Other senators shared concerns about the implications of the funding lapse for Native communities in their states. Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, noted that families living on the Duck Valley Indian Reservation would lose access to essential food support as a result of the cuts. In response, tribal leaders are preparing to revert to traditional practices, such as hunting elk, to sustain their members.

Meanwhile, Tina Smith, a Minnesota Democrat, highlighted a trend among tribes in her state where individuals are shifting from SNAP to the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR). This program provides food assistance to income-eligible households on reservations and those residing nearby. However, participation in both SNAP and FDPIR simultaneously is not permitted.

According to USDA data, FDPIR had an average monthly participation of 49,339 individuals in fiscal year 2023. In light of the funding cuts, Smith noted that tribal nations are actively trying to navigate the best sources of nutritional assistance available to them.

This evolving crisis not only threatens the immediate food security of tribal communities but also underscores the broader systemic challenges they face in accessing healthy, nutritious food. As advocates call for urgent action, the reliance on federal programs like SNAP and WIC continues to be a critical lifeline for many.