*By Carlo Versano* For many Americans, the partial shutdown of the federal government is only felt in minor ways, if it all: [overflowing trash cans](https://wtop.com/dc/2019/01/national-park-service-gets-help-with-garbage-cleanup-during-government-shutdown/slide/1/) on the National Mall, or [free entry](https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/us-government-shutdown-travel/index.html) to national parks. For Native Americans, a prolonged shutdown could mean life or death. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, part of the Dept of the Interior, is one federal office considered non-essential as President Trump and Congress fail to reach a deal over a funding impasse. For tribes like the Sault Ste. Marie of Michigan, which are heavily reliant on federal funding thanks to long-ago deals made with the government for services in exchange for land, the results of the shutdown as already devastating. Aaron Payment, Sault Ste. Marie's chairman, told Cheddar that he's focused on one date: Jan. 15. That's when the tribe's next drawdown of federal funds is scheduled. If that transaction doesn't happen, critical services will become unavailable, he said. "In the long term, it's going to have a drastic impact," he said, noting that the shutdown, already in day 14, is costing the tribe about $100,000 a day. Eventually, "we won't have access to healthcare," he said. "Our members need prescriptions and medicines that help keep them alive." For Payment and members of his tribe and others, the situation in Washington is familiar. A 2013 shutdown under President Obama cost Sault Ste. Marie $1 million, he said, and had lasting impacts still felt today. Tribe members were laid off, furloughed, and lost healthcare providers, who pulled out due to the uncertainty of the shutdown. Recruiting health services is one of the most difficult challenges for Indian Country, which has the added disadvantage of being in rural areas without many providers. Payment stressed that Native Americans were not asking for handouts, or reparations. As far back as the 1800s, tribes sold hundreds of millions of acres of land to the government "for the promise of health, education and social welfare in perpetuity." Those services are now deemed non-essential. And when the shutdown ends, it is not guaranteed that tribes will be reimbursed for the costs they incurred during the closure, the way other federal employees will be. "We prepaid for everything," Payment said. "The government is only as good as its word." For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/tribe-leader-says-government-shutdown-could-have-drastic-impact).

Share:
More In Politics
A Look Ahead at G20 Summit and COP26 on Addressing the Climate Crisis
World leaders will converge this weekend at the 2021 G20 Summit in Rome and the UN COP26 conference in Glasgow with the climate crisis on the agenda. Lord Adair Turner, chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, joined Cheddar to discuss what people can expect to come out of the climate-focused conferences. Turner also noted that one of the biggest hurdles for the attending nations will be coming to a uniform decision on expanding on the Paris Climate Accord goals that have become insufficient to prevent global warming by 1.5 degrees celsius.
Why Keeping Paid Leave In President Biden's Budget Bill Is Crucial For Parents
Emily Tisch Sussman, senior advisor at Paid Leave US, joined Cheddar's "Between Bells" to discuss paid leave being stripped from the latest budget bill and why it is crucial for parents to have paid time off. Sussman said the pandemic, in particular, highlighted the disparity between women, who left the work force in droves to care for family, and men who continue to work and be rehired as impacted sectors of the economy return.
Major Indexes Close at Record Highs as Stocks End Day Higher
The Dow, S&P, and Nasdaq each ended Friday's session at a record high as stocks rallied into the green. Chris Vecchio, Senior Analyst at DailyFX, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says this was an 'October to remember' for Wall Street.
Big Oil Testifies Before Congress On Climate Change
Kathy Mulvey, the Accountability Campaign Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, joined Cheddar News to break down Thursday's congressional hearing on climate change with big oil executives and lobbyists.
Biden Announces $1.75 Trillion Spending Framework, Includes $555 Billion in Climate Initiatives
As President Joe Biden heads to Europe for the G20 and the United Nations COP26 climate meeting, he has announced a new $1.75 trillion spending framework. Senate Democrats are reportedly close to agreeing on passing the legislation, but it hangs in the balance as President Biden and other world leaders will meet at COP26 and Biden looks to proclaim the U.S. a leader on climate issues. Vox Senior Reporter Rebecca Leber joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the $555 billion worth of clean energy initiatives Biden included in the framework, and how Democrats' continuing negotiations undermine U.S. climate leadership.
Load More