In recent weeks, mass firings of federal employees across a wide range of agencies have sent shockwaves across Alaska.
Alaska United States Sen. Lisa Murkowski has said that more than 100 federal employees have likely been fired statewide. But whether the impact extends to Western Alaska and the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta remains unclear.
The Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge (YDNWR), which employs around a dozen people in Bethel and manages fish and game populations in an area roughly the size of the state of Oregon, has not reported any layoffs.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers the refuge, recently fired hundreds of probationary employees nationwide. A spokesperson from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declined to comment or confirm that any Alaska employees had been among those fired.
It is also not clear whether terminations at other agencies in Alaska such as the U.S. Forest Service, National Weather Service (NWS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have impacted positions in Western Alaska.
A federal funding freeze implemented in January 2025 that has since been rescinded, however, has left Alaska tribal and rural nonprofits that tap into around $1.2 billion of federal funding annually on the edge of their seats.
Laurie Wolf is the president and CEO of the Foraker Group, a nonprofit organization that advocates for other nonprofits in the state. She said that the language in President Donald Trump’s Jan. 27 memo calling for the funding freeze has been alarming for tribes.
“What came with those executive orders were very confusing language about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and our Indigenous people. Our tribes are saying, 'like, do you mean us? Is that us?'” Wolf said.
Wolf said that despite court orders to lift the funding freeze, nonprofits that provide vital services in Western Alaska like the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) still face uncertainty regarding federal funds.
“They are also the recipients of that funding. And again, that money should be unfrozen. But we are hearing, for example, money that's coming out of [the Environmental Protection Agency], which is a lot of environmental protection money, not available. Money coming out of [the U.S. Department of Agriculture], not available,“ Wolf said. “Even though it should be available it's not, and we're watching organizations lay people off and potentially miss a building season.”
A spokesperson from ANTHC responded by email on Feb. 27 to say that the organization is closely monitoring the status of federal grants related to rural energy, weather, and public safety, but that major rural water and sanitation projects were going forward as planned.
Wolf noted that funding freezes on money already awarded are only part of the problem. Concerns are mounting about funds yet to be awarded as part of the federal government’s new budget, which faces a March 14 deadline to avert a government shutdown.
Wolf said that she has been alarmed to discover that funding for rural domestic violence services through the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has been thrown into question. For reasons that are unclear, as of Feb. 27 the grants were conspicuously absent from an online portal where nonprofits can apply for these funds.
“They would be applying for money right now for the next fiscal year. They cannot apply, and that will impact every domestic violence shelter, every sexual assault center, every rape crisis center, transitional housing for women and children,” Wolf said.
Eileen Arnold, executive director of Tundra Women’s Coalition (TWC), a Bethel-based domestic violence shelter and community outreach center, said that she has been checking online daily for a chance to apply for the grant. Over the past six years, Arnold said that TWC has secured $1 million through the Rural Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Dating Violence and Stalking Program under the federal Office on Violence Against Women.
“This time of year, I expect to see [requests for proposals] from the federal government, and usually these are competitive grants that programs can enhance or expand programs,” Arnold said. “It literally exists to just enhance the safety of rural victims. And obviously this whole region is rural, and we've particularly used the funding these past six years to enhance our response to sexual assault for both adults and children.”
The future of Medicaid
Other critical institutions in the Y-K Delta are also concerned about federal funds yet to be awarded. For the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC), around half of the funding for the health care provider, its roughly 1,600 employees, and its clinics in 50 villages comes from the Indian Health Service (IHS).
YKHC’s president and CEO, Dan Winkelman, noted that current U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged to Sen. Lisa Murkowski that he would not reduce IHS spending. But Winkelman said that YKHC is prepared for a potential government shutdown.
“If Congress decides not to fund the government that will impact us, as well as all the other tribal health organizations across the state,” Winkelman said. “We're prepared for a government shutdown and will continue operations as normal through that period.”
Winkelman said that the key concern is potential long-term cuts of as much as $880 billion to Medicaid, which helps cover medical costs for around 80 million low-income Americans. He said that around a third of the health corporation’s annual budget comes from Medicaid, and that the program has been a “godsend” for providing preventative care for residents of the region’s far-flung communities.
“Almost 22,000 of our 30,000 customers that YKHC serves every single year are on Medicaid currently. The potential cuts are going to be around eligibility, who's eligible, they're going to be around the types of services that Medicaid will pay for, and then they're going to be probably around payment,” Winkelman said. “And those are the three areas of cuts that are likely to come down in the next couple of weeks.”
Winkelman said that residents of the Y-K Delta should make their voices heard.
“I am urging people in the region, if Medicaid is important to them, to let their two U.S. Senators know, as well as Congressman Nick Begich [III], and to urgently call them in their [Washington D.C.] office and let them know that Medicaid matters to them and their family,” Winkelman said.
Tribes themselves are also bracing for potential cuts to federal funding. The Ortusararmiut Traditional Native Council (ONC), representing Bethel’s tribe, receives the majority of its financial support from the federal government. That money goes toward services including housing, energy assistance, and various social services.
ONC Executive Director Brian Henry wrote by email: “We are a proactive tribe. We were prepared for that coming storm and how it may affect ONC altogether.”
The Calista Corporation, the Alaska Native corporation representing 56 Western Alaska communities, did not comment about specific impacts from President Trump’s recent actions. A Calista spokesperson wrote by email that Calista appreciates the efforts of Alaska’s congressional delegation to protect federally designated programs and grants.
The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP), a nonprofit consortium representing the same 56 communities, did not say by email whether it had been affected by funding freezes or firings, but said that it is closely monitoring the situation.
The City of Bethel’s grant manager, John Sargent, said by email that the city does not have any immediate concerns regarding around half a dozen sources of federal funding, some of which were temporarily frozen under Trump’s order.
As nonprofits brace for cuts in federal spending and dozens of lawsuits play out in federal courts over the legality of funding freezes and firings, the common thread among Western Alaska communities and those across the state remains their shared uncertainty.
If you or your organization have been impacted by recent changes to federal funding or staffing, get in contact with KYUK by emailing news@kyuk.org or calling 907-543-0223.
