TAKE ACTION: Ask your senators to support Rep. Deb Haaland for Secretary of the Interior!

Dear John,

We couldn’t be more excited that New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland has been nominated to serve as Secretary of the Interior. If confirmed, Rep. Haaland will be the first ever Indigenous cabinet secretary in U.S. history. While the symbolism of that is important, she is far from a purely symbolic choice. Rep. Haaland is a fierce advocate for protecting public lands and waters, and has won praise for working in a bipartisan manner to do so. 

However, her confirmation is not assured. 

The fossil fuel industry and its allies in government have little interest in preserving and protecting our shared lands and have time and again harmed Indigenous people and communities –  by direct force and by neglecting their critical voices. Those forces are eyeing Rep. Haaland’s nomination as a threat to their continued abuse and exploitation of our public lands.

Ask your senators to confirm Rep. Deb Haaland.

Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized tribes in addition to other, non-federally-recognized tribes. Tribal communities are often the first and most deeply affected by climate change and environmental destruction here in Wisconsin and across the country – and globe.

As the first Indigenous person to be appointed to serve as Secretary of the Interior, Haaland will bring a critical understanding of the effects of climate change on underserved populations, and bring a deep understanding of the power and necessity of Indigenous voices in making decisions about our lands.

To ensure Rep. Haaland is appointed, we must call on Sen. Ron Johnson and Sen. Tammy Baldwin to vote for her confirmation. Send a message to our Wisconsin senators now. 

A 35th generation New Mexican, Rep. Haaland has established a bipartisan record of fighting for science, climate action, and the protection of iconic landscapes, critical cultural sites, wildlife, oceans, rivers, lakes, and streams. She is also a champion for the creation of good-paying clean energy and outdoor recreation jobs – two critical economic engines for Wisconsin.

Indigenous leadership in decision-making over lands is long overdue. Unlike the Department of the Interior's previous leadership, which was focused mainly on mineral extraction, Rep. Haaland's appointment highlights the broader economic and cultural importance of our public and tribal lands.  

Will you take action today to ask our senators to confirm Rep. Deb  Haaland and ensure that an experienced Indigenous voice can finally be at the decision-making table for our lands?

Thank you for being a conservation voter,

Kerry Schumann
Executive Director
Wisconsin Conservation Voters

P.S. We can't continue our work to ensure Wisconsin's Native communities have a voice in the future of our state without your support. Can we count on your support with a gift today?