While pointing to her work helping Wyomingites deal with federal agencies, the state’s lone U.S. House member called out the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) over what she described as a continual lack of transparency between its leaders and the people of Wyoming.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, a Republican, voiced her concerns during a Tuesday phone interview with Cowboy State Daily.
“I really question their efficiency, their effectiveness and where the money goes,” she said of the BIA.
Those remarks come in the wake of the agency’s general silence on key issues across Wyoming’s reservation lands and lack of cooperation with federal leaders.
Hageman has repeatedly confronted what she cast as BIA issues throughout her time in Congress, she noted. A spokesperson for the Bureau of Indian Affairs did not respond by publication time to a request for comment on Hageman’s concerns.
Federal Casework
Hageman’s comments came while discussing her federal casework on behalf of Wyoming residents.
She said her office regularly deals with other federal agencies in situations where Wyomingites have been unsuccessful in achieving results.
She touted Tuesday the return of $10.6 million to residents in the form of money, benefits, reimbursements, or corrections across more than 4,000 cases.
“We’re kind of the point of the spear if you will, between our constituents and these federal agencies,” she said. “It’s a broad array of types of cases.”
This, she added, is not always because of ineffectiveness at the federal level but is part of the normal function of the government.
“Part of it might be an efficiency issue and part of it might be some nuance that we need to help them iron out to get results,” she said. “We’re very aggressive about notifying people that this is one of our jobs.”
The representative said she deals primarily with agencies such as the Social Security Administration, IRS, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, but singled out the Bureau of Indian Affairs in particular, saying it continually fails to conduct itself in a transparent way.
“I believe that there’s been a lack of transparency for decades,” she said of the agency. “I believe that there's a lack of transparency with our Indian tribes. I believe that there's a lack of transparency of how the money is spent, how BIA money is spent, and whether it's being spent efficiently and effectively.”
The Bureau of Indian Affairs appears to act like a middleman between federal money and the tribes that need it most, she added. This agency often does not openly reveal what it is doing with its funds.
“I would like to see more money go directly to our tribal members and directly to our tribes, rather than so much money being stockpiled in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “But, yeah, BIA is one agency that that I struggle with, and I've struggled with for a long time, because I really question their efficiency, their effectiveness, and where the money goes.”
Bureau Battle
Hageman’s comments point to a longstanding tension stemming from the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ administration of tribal lands, which the federal government keeps in trust for tribal members.
The representative in 2024 told then-former President Donald Trump she viewed human trafficking and drug use as major problems facing Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation. The BIA runs the police force on the reservation for its two resident tribes, the Northern Arapaho and the Eastern Shoshone.
That same year, Hageman worked to resolve some of these issues in a meeting while chairing the U.S. House Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. The BIA's representative could not make the meeting, as he was sick.
That was unfortunate, Hageman said at the time.
"And while I definitely hope that he gets better soon, I will state that I am disappointed in BIA’s absence, as their involvement in these discussions is critical to finding workable solutions," she said during the meeting.
The agency was notably silent in December after one of its agents was involved in a crash on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Given the fact that the local sheriff’s office has limited jurisdiction there, the matter was left up to the BIA to resolve internally.
Ultimately in March, the agency said a BIA officer failed to place his patrol vehicle in park when he exited, and collided with another unoccupied vehicle.
The agency did not answer other questions at the time, such as whether alcohol was involved, citing an ongoing investigation.
Not Enough
Regarding Hageman’s case work and announcement of its successes, Wyoming Democratic Party spokeswoman Mandy Weaver was not impressed Tuesday.
She indicated Hageman has failed on multiple broader Wyoming issues.
“We're thrilled to hear that Representative Hageman is providing basic constituent services — that is quite literally her job,” she wrote via email. “But while we’re glad some Wyomingites are getting help with individual issues, tens of thousands are now facing massive healthcare premium hikes and total loss of coverage due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and thousands more are facing loss of income because of the looming government shutdown.”
Congressional Democrats and Republicans remained at odds Tuesday over how to fund the government and avoid a shutdown, which is set to begin at 12 a.m. Wednesday unless lawmakers act to stop it.
“As a member of the party in power,” Weaver continued, “it is also Representative Hageman’s job to enter into good faith negotiations and deliver real solutions to these issues — not just celebrate doing the bare minimum while her party shuts the government down,” Weaver added.
Jackson Walker can be reached at walker@cowboystatedaily.com.
