We Endorse Deb Haaland to Be Secretary of the Interior
We the undersigned proudly endorse Rep. Deb Halland (D-NM), an enrolled citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, to be the next Secretary of the Interior.
The appointment of Haaland would be historic, making her the first-ever Native person in the U.S. cabinet. It would also change the direction of the Department of the Interior (DOI). The DOI is the Federal agency that oversees public lands, manages Indian Trust funds, and houses the Bureau of Indian Affairs. For too long, the DOI has placed the demands of the energy and extractive industries over the needs of everyday people and the planet. During the Trump Administration, the DOI has tried to reduce environmental protections, expand commercial leases on public lands, and undermine tribal sovereignty. Haaland will be a huge asset to an incoming Biden Administration.
Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior would serve the interests of all people in the US. She will dedicate herself to preserving public lands, protecting the country’s natural resources, and honoring Nation-to-Nation relations with tribal peoples.
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) recently said,
“It is well past time that an Indigenous person brings history full circle at the Department of Interior. As her colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, I have seen first-hand the passion and dedication she puts into these issues at the forefront of the Interior Department from tackling the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women to crafting thoughtful solutions to combating the climate crisis using America’s public lands.”1
We join the over 120 Indigenous Tribal leaders who have called on the Biden Administration to appoint Haaland to the post.2
Congresswoman Haaland is highly qualified for the position. She currently serves in Congress as the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, the Chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, and as a member of the Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples of the United States. In 2018, Haaland was one of the first two Native women ever elected to the U.S. Congress. She also maintains strong relationships with tribal governments, grassroots, and climate justice organizations.
For millennia tribal nations of this continent have been stewards of the land. They have managed and maintained the land in the interests of generations to come. It is time the United States acknowledge the role of Indigenous people in combating climate change. It is time for the U.S. government to make good on its treaty and trust responsibilities. Making Deb Haaland Secretary of the Interior is a key step on that path.
1. https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/526210-grijalva-backs-haaland-for-interior-secretary
2. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/deb-haaland-biden-interior-secretary_n_5faae252c5b6f21920e0628a
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