Tribal leaders argue the Education Department violated federal law by failing to consult with tribes before announcing the transfer of Native American education programs to other agencies. Standing Rock Chairman Steve Sitting Bear and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium said they were not consulted, raising concerns about fragmented funding and more bureaucratic layers for Tribal Colleges and Universities that rely on federal coordination. The complaints come as some tribal institutions seek alternative support: Little Priest Tribal College in Nebraska received a $5 million unrestricted gift that college leaders called transformative. Tribal advocates warned that philanthropic gifts cannot replace stable federal program administration and urged immediate government-to-tribe consultations to prevent service disruptions.