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In a historic move, President-elect Joe Biden has selected Representative Deb Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed, Haaland would be the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet and as head of the Interior Department.
A member of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico, Haaland was one of the first Native American women ever elected to Congress. Throughout her tenure, Haaland served on the House Natural Resources Committee, taking the lead on efforts to conserve 30% of America's lands and waters by 2030, protect national monuments, and increase renewable energy generation on public lands to combat climate change.
In addition to managing our nation's national parks and public lands, the Interior Department is also responsible for upholding trust and treaty obligations with the 574 federally recognized Native American tribes, an often fraught relationship built on a history of dislocation and genocide. Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez noted the historical significance of the nomination, calling it "truly a historic and unprecedented day for all Indigenous people.”
Responding to the nomination, Haaland said, "A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior. 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."
Winning the West: Election 2020
A new report by the Center for Western Priorities finds that public lands—how they are used, their importance to local economies, and the way they define life in the West—were a key component of winning campaigns in 2020, with 19 of the 21 races tracked in six Western states featuring significant pro-public lands advertising or messaging. Going forward, we expect the influence of the growing “outdoor voting bloc”—currently estimated at more than 2 million voters across the West—to continue shaping campaigns and legislative action on public lands.
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This brilliant, tested, trailblazing team will be ready on day one to confront the existential threat of climate change with a unified national response rooted in science and equity.”
