Pivotal Resurgence for Humanities North Dakota Amidst Funds Controversy

In the year 2024, a gathering was convened by Humanities North Dakota featuring Kate Bowler, a renowned author and podcaster. The organization recently breathed a sigh of relief after a federal judge signalled a possible misstep by the executive arm of the government in revoking two years of nation-wide humanities scholarships. The National Endowment for the Humanities, a congressional creation of 1965 aimed at fostering civic, artistic, and cultural education nationwide, is the primary source of funds for 56 humanities bodies, among them Humanities North Dakota.

The national councils advocating for the humanities found themselves in a precarious fiscal position when the US government withdrew hundreds of millions in allocations reserved for them by the Congress for the fiscal years of 2024 and 2025. This was made evident in court documents. The National Endowment for the Humanities claimed that the funds were being repurposed to fulfill the President’s vision.

Humanities North Dakota echoed concerns, highlighting their projected loss of $600,000 in grant money for the fiscal year 2024. This ominous forecast emerged following the budget cutbacks. As a lifeline, the organization secured $300,000 in private contributions to maintain operations, but demurred that programming reductions were inevitable due to the discontinued grants.

Michael Simon, a District Judge of Oregon, in a recent order stated that the fiasco created by the executive’s decision to defund the councils dedicated to the humanities was likely to be illegitimate and possibly overturned later. Although Simon’s order didn’t directly result in the funds’ reinstatement, it temporarily hindered the federal authorities’ ability to disperse them in other domains, clarified The Federation of State Humanities Councils.

Brenna Gerhardt, the Executive Director of Humanities North Dakota, responded positively to the court’s decision. She stated that the solidification of the decision will propel the commencement of stalled initiatives, rebuild connections with community stakeholders and navigate financial decisions that encapsulate the flux of recent times and their long-standing commitments.

The grant revocations were merely part of a larger narrative of program wipeouts executed by the executive agencies, propelled by the Department of Government Efficiency. The spring season bore witness to an approximately 65% reduction in manpower for the National Endowment for the Humanities, in alignment with funding curtailments.

The case against the Department of Government Efficiency and the National Endowment for the Humanities was brought forth by the Federation of State Humanities Councils, along with Oregon Humanities, one of its members. The plaintiffs leveled accusations against the federal government for axing the funding without substantial analysis and absolute disregard for the Congressional mandate of reaching the humanities to every corner of the nation.

In its justification, the National Endowment for the Humanities alleged the withdrawn grants were targeted towards propagation of themes like diversity, equity, inclusion, disability accommodation and environmental justice. These themes were specifically mentioned in the executive order to be eliminated as per President Donald Trump’s pledge.

Firing back, Simon elucidated that the classification contravenes Congressional desires regarding the utilization of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ grant money. As per federal law, the federal agency was obligated to boost projects reflective of the ‘diversity and richness of the American cultural heritage’ and prioritize attention to scholars and institutions traditionally sidelined.

The aftermath of the truncations impacted several causes: it derailed the funding for an Indigenous language conservation initiative in Alaska, stunted an end-of-life care department in an Ohio-based children’s hospital, and reduced support for remote libraries in Oregon, as highlighted in Simon’s decree.

Simon pointed out the dire implications of the abrupt cessation of humanities funding, showing how it affected regions from metropolitan cities to isolated communities throughout the country. He argued that the decision put a sudden halt to the flow of funds for humanities.

The Federation of State Humanities Councils’ president, Phoebe Stein, saluted Simon’s verdict while expressing concern over the existing underfunding of the humanities councils. She drew attention to the hard-hitting reality: staff layoffs and interruption of critical programs.

The National Endowment for the Humanities, in their legal documents, put forth the argument that federal norms enable them to revoke grants if they deem them as not being aligned with the agency’s priorities. This justification was aimed to prove their authority in determining the destination of the grant monies.