By Morgan Taylor, Reporter
WASHINGTON D.C. – The Biden-Harris campaign has chosen a congressional representative from New Mexico and a Native American to head up the Department of Interior.
If confirmed, Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) will be the first Native American woman to lead a cabinet-level position.
Since winning a seat in the New Mexico House of Representatives in 2019, Haaland has lobbied both the Biden team and House Democratic leadership and advocated for climate justice policy and indigenous rights.
‘A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior,’ Haaland tweeted Thursday. ‘Growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce. I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land. I am honored and ready to serve.’
The Department of Interior runs the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which manages the financial assets of American Indians held in trust.
Principal Chief David Hill said, “The Muscogee (Creek) Nation applauds the nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland to serve as the U.S. Secretary of Interior. While much work remains, this historic appointment is a joyous moment for all of Indian Country and emblematic of the distance we have travelled since our ancestors’ first steps on the Trail of Tears.”
