- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Native Contracting
The Department of Defense has reaffirmed support for tribal and Alaska Native Corporation participation in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) Business Development Program, according to a letter sent to Alaska's U.S. senators.
In a May 28 letter to U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, both R-Alaska, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael P. Duffey wrote that participation by federally recognized tribes and Alaska Native Corporations in federal programs is "grounded in their political status as Native Americans, not DEI initiatives."
The letter was welcomed by the ANCSA Regional Association, which represents the chief executives of Alaska's 12 regional Native corporations.
"This unambiguous statement from DoD further validates Congress' bipartisan legal framework and intent for ANCs to participate in the 8(a) program," ARA President Nicole Borromeo said in a statement.
The Defense Department's position affirms Congress' intent that Alaska Native Corporations participate in the 8(a) program and that ANC eligibility is rooted in their political status rather than diversity initiatives, Borromeo said.
The letter follows a series of federal actions clarifying that programs serving tribes and Alaska Native corporations are based on the federal government's political and trust relationship with Native communities rather than DEI initiatives.
In May 2025, the SBA told Native business leaders that President Donald Trump's executive order targeting DEI programs did not apply to SBA programs serving American Indians and Alaska Natives. SBA General Counsel Wendell Davis wrote at the time that tribes are separate sovereign governments and that Native-focused programs fall outside the scope of the executive order.
Duffey's letter reinforces that position. He wrote that the Defense Department respects the legal foundation of the 8(a) program and will continue to operate within its statutory framework. He also said the program can increase competition among defense contractors and support the department's mission.
The clarification comes as Native-owned contractors continue pressing SBA over delays in processing 8(a) applications. In May, the Native American Contractors Association and 53 Native-owned businesses urged SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler to address approval backlogs they said have left some applications pending well beyond the agency's regulatory deadlines.
The 8(a) program remains a significant source of federal contracting revenue for tribes and Alaska Native corporations. Native-owned firms received $16.1 billion of the program's approximately $26 billion in federal contract awards during fiscal 2024, according to data previously reported by Tribal Business News.
