President Trump wants to cut SNAP benefits all together during the government shutdown. However, a federal judge ordered him to restore full benefits. He appealed the decision and the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily gave him authority to resume partial benefits.

As the government shutdown threatens food assistance for tens of thousands of low-income Oklahomans, the state’s American Indian tribes are stepping in to help affected tribal citizens.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. announced Oct. 29 that the tribe would dedicate $6.5 million to ensuring its citizens who receive federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits would still receive food.

“I don’t know what the President of the United States is going to do,” Hoskin told a group of tribal elders in Tulsa. “I don’t know what the Congress is going to do, but I know what the Cherokee Nation just did. We just put $6.5 million to save SNAP for Cherokee citizens in this region. That’s what we just did.”

Hoskin and Oklahoma Democrats have called on Gov. Kevin Stitt to tap into the state’s reserve fund to assist all food stamp recipients in the state.

“Right now, the state of Oklahoma has a budget surplus of $3.69 billion,” Hoskin said. “Those dollars came from me and you and everybody in this state, $3.69 billion,” Hoskin said. “I’m calling on the governor of the state of Oklahoma. I’m calling on Kevin Stitt to get out your checkbook and save SNAP for this entire state in the month of November.”

Stitt had said doing so would require a special legislative session, state law restricts what the state’s Rainy Day Funds can be used for and there’s no guarantee that the federal government will ever reimburse the state.

Stitt and legislative leaders announced Friday that state leaders would vote to spend $1 million per week for up to seven weeks from the state’s Contingency Review Fund to food banks around the state, targeting assistance for children, the elderly and disabled SNAP recipients.

The federal government shut down on Oct. 1 after Congress failed to pass a funding measure. Democrats have refused to sign on to a temporary funding measure that does not continue to provide health insurance subsidies for individuals through the Affordable Care Act.

Federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps, ran out on Nov. 1.

About 686,000 people in Oklahoma, or about one in six people, used the SNAP program in 2024. Two-thirds of Oklahomans who received those benefits were part of families with minor children, and about 42% of recipients were members of working families. Oklahoma SNAP recipients received an average of $183 per person. Oklahomans received about $1.5 billion in SNAP benefits in 2024.

Though two federal judges ruled on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to fund SNAP using a $5-billion emergency fund but it can often take weeks for benefits to load on a beneficiary’s card. The program costs around $8 billion per month nationwide.

Stitt has also called on private groups to step up and help those impacted by the shutdown.

Stitt warned that without reopening the government soon, even more programs that help low-income Oklahomans, such as the Women, Infants and Children program, would also be affected.

Many of Oklahoma’s American Indian tribes said they were monitoring the situation and some planned to make tribal funds and food programs available to members.

The funding the Cherokee Nation is dedicating to SNAP beneficiaries includes $4.5 million in direct cash assistance to tribal citizens on SNAP and $1.25 million to local food banks and additional funds for the tribe’s Community and Cultural Outreach groups.

Hoskin said the tribe is in a good financial position to provide the help, for the time being.

“As strong of a position as the Cherokee Nation is in, as prudent as we’ve been with our finances, we cannot bail the United States out of every one of their catastrophes,” Hoskin said. “We can’t save the United States federal government from every one of its failures. We can’t keep all of their programs running. But I can tell you this when I asked the deputy chief what we should do, he said, we know what the right thing to do is — help the people.”

Tribal leaders from across the United States called for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase access to food benefits for low-income American Indians and allow flexibility in reporting and compliance deadlines until the government is reopened.

Muscogee Nation Principal Chief David Hill said the tribe has been monitoring the situation with SNAP and other federal programs impacted by the government shutdown.

“We knew we as a tribal government that we may be needed to supplement any interruption in services for any of our citizens who are on U.S. government assistance,” Hill said.

The Muscogee Nation is holding a series of food distribution events around the reservation.

The Choctaw Nation said it will provide temporary food assistance for tribal members who receive SNAP benefits nationwide.

“Many of our members around the Nation rely on SNAP benefits to feed themselves and their families,” said Choctaw Chief Gary Batton. “With the federal government temporarily unable to meet its obligations, we will look for ways to help tribal members in need.”

Tribal members eligible for the program, which can be applied for at the Choctaw Nation’s website, can apply for a one-time $150 food assistance payment from Nov. 3 through Nov. 14.

The Choctaw Nation is also extending its application deadline for its Thanksgiving and Christmas food vouchers through Nov. 8, which are available to low-income Choctaws living within the reservation boundaries and who have not applied for the tribe’s temporary food assistance program.

The Osage Nation is encouraging American Indians living in the Osage Nation to apply for the Osage Nation Food Distribution Program, which provides food packages to lowincome American Indian households.

The Seminole Nation began accepting applications for food benefits on Nov. 1 food and nutrition services program on Nov. 1 for people enrolled to receive SNAP benefits.