In a decisive move that represents a clear break from the previous administration, the Republican-controlled Congress has approved substantial funding for multiple cultural institutions that were once targeted for severe budget cuts or complete elimination under former President Donald Trump. The funding bill, passed in January, represents a significant victory for cultural preservationists and historians who had been alarmed by the previous administration's approach to arts and heritage funding.
Trump's Executive Order and Budget Proposals
Last year, former President Trump issued an executive order titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History" that specifically criticized the Smithsonian Institution for what he described as "coming under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology." This executive order called for a comprehensive overhaul of several museums and singled out specific institutions including the American Women's History Museum, which currently exists only as an online exhibition, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
In his proposed budget, Trump had signaled a clear intention to eliminate funding for several key cultural organizations. The targeted institutions included the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Institute of American Indian Arts, and the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino, along with dozens of other programs and agencies that support cultural preservation and artistic expression across the United States.
Community Response and Advocacy Efforts
These proposed cuts sparked immediate concern among historians, cultural preservationists, and members of the Institute of American Indian Arts community. The threat to their funding galvanized these groups into organized action during the period between the proposed budget and Congress's final passage of the funding bill.
Shelly C Lowe, president of the Institute of American Indian Arts and a member of the Navajo Nation, described how supporters mobilized through a comprehensive letter-writing campaign and conducted "very dedicated and targeted outreach" to members of Congress. Students and alumni wrote open letters, spoke to press outlets, and received support from organizations such as the American Indian Higher Education Consortium in their advocacy efforts.
"It had been very difficult for many of our faculty and our staff and our students to not know, to feel like our budget was going to be zeroed out," Lowe told the Guardian. "When we were zeroed out in the president's budget last year, it made us pay very close attention to the outreach that we were doing with congressional members, both within our state and from other states. We encouraged people to step up."
Securing the Future of Cultural Institutions
The Institute of American Indian Arts, which receives approximately 62% of its funding through annual congressional appropriations and federal grants and contracts, will now receive $13.5 million for its 2026 fiscal year. This funding will enable the Santa Fe, New Mexico-based institution to continue supporting essential student services, day-to-day operations, and academic programs that focus on Indigenous arts and culture.
As the only congressionally chartered institute dedicated to Indigenous arts and culture, and the sole federally chartered institution located outside the Washington DC area, the IAIA occupies a unique position in America's cultural landscape. Lowe emphasized the importance of ongoing communication with Congress about the institution's work and impact.
"We have set ourselves up to continue to inform Congress as much as possible throughout the year what we do and the good work that we do and the economic impact that we have not just in the Santa Fe region, but with all of our graduates across the country," said Lowe, who became the institute's president last August. "I'd like to say that we are optimistic that things will be better this next year, but I think we're going to be preparing ourselves to continue to do this hard work, at least for the next couple of years."
The restoration of funding represents more than just financial security for these cultural institutions—it signifies a renewed commitment to preserving America's diverse cultural heritage and supporting the arts as essential components of national identity and education.
