Cuts to federal grant programs that support archives are causing harm to programs and operations at cultural institutions across the United States. Practitioners and institutions in the museum and history fields are reporting their stories of federal funding impacts. SAA remains concerned about these impacts, particularly due to reports SAA has received regarding threats to programs that support Tribal communities. We note that cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have affected many Tribal archivists and memory workers.
SAA supports Tribal archivists and memory workers across the United States as they scramble to address these threats that could upend their archives and memory practices. For all archival workers who have received IMLS or NEH cancellation letters for all programs, you can find more information from the American Alliance of Museums about addressing your IMLS award cancellation, or from the National Humanities Alliance about NEH award terminations.
We call on SAA’s members to tell your elected leaders that you support these award programs from IMLS and NEH. Legislators need to hear from archival advocates in their states and districts. Find their phone numbers and share these impact stories and how our work is threatened by cuts to these programs. You can find and contact your senators and representatives through the US Congress website.
The premature termination of grants not only cuts short innovative and essential technical projects—it fractures trust, silences voices, and halts progress toward accessible public archival systems. At a time when Tribal Nations are seeking access to records for healing, justice, and reclamation, this loss is not merely administrative—it is deeply human. SAA condemns the termination of IMLS and NEH grants supporting the University of Maryland, College of Information and the National Native American Boarding School Coalition. Please see this document for attestations of how these grant terminations are impacting our Tribal archivist and memory worker colleagues: "IMLS and NEH Grant Termination Impacts on Tribal Communities."
After you contact your elected leaders, please consider filling out the Committee on Public Policy's feedback form. This information will be used to track what offices have been contacted, identify where there might be some gaps in advocacy, and give us insights into what messages are resonating with the offices of elected leaders. You can fill out this form each time you contact elected leaders.
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SAA Headquarters
Society of American Archivists
Chicago IL
saahq@archivists.org------------------------------