The impacts of the longest government shutdown in American history are starting to be felt on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, says Chairman Tim Davis.
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed and others are being forced to work without pay while President Donald Trump fights with Democrats over funding for a wall on the southern border. The shutdown heavily impacts a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Interior, which overseas the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
“The longer this goes on the more impacts there will be,” Davis said.
On Tuesday, the Blackfeet announced that some non-essential employees had been furloughed due to the shutdown.
Davis said a number of tribal services have been altered or reduced in the weeks since the federal government shutdown in December. Meals on Wheels service to the elderly has been reduced and, while the state highway department is plowing U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Route 89, there is currently only one plow driver for tribal side roads. Davis said he’s thankful that this winter has been nothing compared to last year when homes and roads were buried in snow.
Davis said the tribe is doing its best to save money, but that the impacts will only continue if the shutdown drags on much longer.
Officials with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes said the impacts have not been as severe on the Flathead Indian Reservation. However, tribal leaders have directed department heads to be more frugal until the shutdown is over.