NATHPO to Senators: “Our Heritage Is Not a Bargaining Chip”

“Sixty years after the National Historic Preservation Act became law, we should be building upon that progress, not returning to a time when Tribal voices and rights were disregarded”

The Bill Would “Facilitate the Demolition of Our Heritage” and “Embraces an Assimilation-Era Approach that Takes Us Backward”

The Bill Represents a “Legislative Assault on the Sovereignty of Tribal Nations”

“THPOs rely on their federal funding to support their work of protecting sacred places and cultural resources, and NATHPO thanks the National Park Service and the White House for ensuring they could access their funding for Fiscal Year 2026 as quickly as possible,” said Dr. Valerie Grussing, Executive Director for Legislative Affairs & Strategic Partnerships. “Any disruption in THPOs’ ability to review projects would result in unnecessary delays and threaten harm to the Tribal Nations whose lifeways and traditional practices depend on the preservation of sacred places and cultural resources.”

“The President’s proposed budget both fails to uphold trust responsibilities to Tribal Nations and runs counter to the Administration’s stated goal of streamlining permitting processes,” said Ira L. Matt (Séliš), Executive Director for Indigenous Diplomacy and Federal Relations. “One key to ensuring federal projects can move forward without unnecessary delays is to give THPOs the resources they need to perform their work, but this budget would do the opposite. NATHPO stands ready to work with Congress and the Administration to find ways to reform federal permitting processes in ways that do not endanger Tribal Nations’ sacred places and cultural resources, but without adequately funding the THPO program, that simply cannot happen.”

On February 12, 2026, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) convened its first business meeting since 2024, and the first under the Trump Administration’s second term, in Washington, DC. It was a packed agenda with several consequential actions for the preservation field, including matters with direct implications for Tribal Nations and THPOs.

On Thursday, Executive Director for Indigenous Diplomacy & Federal Affairs Ira Matt (Séliš) will participate on NATHPO’s behalf in the next business meeting of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).

Following yesterday’s announcement that seven new members had been appointed to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), NATHPO, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, welcomed the new members, especially Tribal Representative John Tahsuda III.

2025 was an exciting year for NATHPO. NATHPO entered the year committed to dedicating more staff time and resources to visiting THPOs, listening to their stories, shining a light on their work, and communicating their needs to policymakers in Washington, DC, and beyond.