More than one million American Indian and Alaska Native people — along with 42 million Americans nationwide — could soon feel the effects if funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out during the ongoing government shutdown.
According to a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued on Oct. 10, current SNAP funding will expire on Nov. 1 unless lawmakers reach a deal to end the shutdown, which has now become the second longest in U.S. history.
“It’s only a matter of time before food banks begin to run out,” said Bobby Gonzalez, chairman of the Caddo Nation, located about 56 miles west of Oklahoma City. “This is a major issue, especially when the economy is already stretched thin.”
If no agreement is reached, SNAP benefits — which support 24 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native households — could be reduced or halted starting Nov. 1, a warning echoed by health and human services officials across multiple states.
“SNAP affects families everywhere, including here in Oklahoma where more than 700,000 people of all backgrounds rely on it,” Gonzalez said. “Poverty is a very real issue here, and so is food insecurity.”
Here is a clearer and more concise rewrite:
The Trump Administration does have options to prevent SNAP funding from expiring, according to the USDA’s “Lapse of Funding Plan” dated Sept. 30. The plan explained that October benefits were paid using funds from the 2025 budget. It also noted that “multi-year contingency funds are available to continue benefits if a funding lapse occurs during the fiscal year.”
Although the USDA has since removed the document from the official government website, it remains accessible through outlets such as AgriPulse, a Washington, D.C.–based agricultural news service.
Earlier this month, the federal government was also able to direct an additional $300 million to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), using money from the Child Nutrition Account, which typically funds school meal programs.
According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the USDA could use similar discretion to shift available funds into SNAP’s contingency reserves, just as it did for WIC.
“This is not a charity program from the U.S. government — these are trust and treaty obligations owed to tribal nations like the Caddo Nation,” Gonzalez said. “The federal government and the president have a legal duty to continue funding these programs. We are not just part of a diversity initiative — we are sovereign tribal nations. These responsibilities exist regardless of a government shutdown and regardless of who is in office. Democrat or Republican, it doesn’t matter. The United States has a treaty responsibility to ensure tribal nations are supported.”
Challenges and Possible Solutions Through the Food Distribution Program
According to USDA data, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is significantly more widely used among American Indian and Alaska Native communities than the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), commonly referred to as the “commodities” program.
With the threat of SNAP funding cuts approaching, some tribal leaders are now encouraging eligible households on reservations to enroll in the Food Distribution Program to help reduce food insecurity if SNAP benefits are reduced or halted.
Tribal leaders, including those from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in the Dakotas and the Spirit Lake Nation in North Dakota, have recently issued public service announcements urging tribal citizens who rely on SNAP to consider enrolling in the Food Distribution Program as a backup if benefits are reduced.
However, for many Native people living in urban areas, Native Hawaiians, and some tribal citizens in Oklahoma, switching may not be straightforward.
Bobby Gonzalez explained that the Food Distribution Program operates differently in Oklahoma due to the state’s complex history and overlapping tribal jurisdictions. Oklahoma is home to 38 federally recognized tribes, with reservation areas often overlapping or “checkerboarded.” While any Oklahoma tribe can partner with the USDA to participate, only a few administer distribution directly. Those tribes—such as the Cherokee Nation—then supply foods to several other tribes within their jurisdiction, as well as any eligible Native residents nearby.
For example, the Wichita and Affiliated Tribes, located just south of the Caddo Nation, distribute food for both their citizens and Caddo citizens, along with any eligible Native households in the surrounding area.
“If Native people in Oklahoma lose SNAP benefits, they will need to turn to a tribe that offers a commodities program or find a local food bank for support,” Gonzalez said.
He added that this could quickly strain tribal food banks.
“If SNAP stops, where will people go?” he said. “They’ll go to their tribes for help—and that will put even more pressure on already limited food supplies. Add a government shutdown on top of that, and it becomes a major crisis.”
Several states with federally recognized tribes do not have the Food Distribution Program at all, including Alabama, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Texas.
Many other states have Native residents but no federally recognized tribes—and therefore no access to the program. These include Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., and all U.S. territories. The program is also not available in Hawai‘i, meaning Native Hawaiians cannot use it.
In addition, SNAP is often more practical for urban Native families who live far from a reservation, because the Food Distribution Program only serves those living within specific reservation areas or nearby zones. Eligibility rules also differ slightly, and families cannot receive both SNAP and commodities in the same month—so tribes are urging citizens to consider switching before the end of October if necessary.
Although both programs are funded through the USDA, they use different budgets. This means the Food Distribution Program should remain funded during the shutdown, but it has still experienced furlough-related staffing challenges.
Some tribes are creating their own emergency systems. On Oct. 23, the Comanche Nation announced that it will provide Food Assistance Vouchers to help members if SNAP funding ends.
“We’ve been preparing a plan to make sure our people are supported,” Comanche Chairman Tahdooahnippah said in a video message. “We are fortunate to use our own tribal funds to support our Food Distribution Program.”
The Comanche Nation will provide eligible households with a $75 food gift card, and households with more than two members will receive $150. This assistance is available to Comanche citizens regardless of where they live.
The tribe is also working to open a food pantry to support members who may be furloughed or experiencing food shortages.
Impact on Local Economies
A loss of SNAP would also hit small businesses in reservation communities. SNAP benefits function like a debit card and can be spent in local stores, helping sustain small grocery retailers in rural areas. By contrast, the Food Distribution Program provides pre-selected food directly, meaning less local economic circulation.
Lower Brule Sioux Tribe Chairman Boyd Gourneau said the tribe’s only grocery store, Buche’s Gus Stop, saw $15,000 in SNAP purchases during its first week of operation earlier this year—evidence of how essential SNAP is to the community.
“SNAP supports the poorest families,” Gourneau said. “Who takes that away from people who are already struggling?”
