ᎣᏏᏲ (Osiyo, Hello) Young Democrats,

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Today, we celebrate the accomplishments and remember the history of those who have inhabited this land in time immemorial. This year has been joyous for Indian Country!  As you all may know, in March of this year, Deb Haaland became the first-ever indigenous Secretary of the Interior. In fact, 20% of all appointments to the Department of the Interior (DOI) have been indigenous folx. These truly historic appointments have finally put indigenous affairs back into indigenous hands, where they belong. 

Secretary Haaland has already made impactful changes at the Interior. She established a new Missing and Murdered Unit at the DOI to “put the full weight of the federal government into investigating these cases and marshal law enforcement resources across federal agencies and throughout Indian country.” With Secretary Order 3399, Secretary Haaland is taking steps to tackle the climate crisis by establishing a Climate Task Force within the Department. It is clear that with Secretary Haaland leading the Interior, things are looking up for Indian County. 

President Biden has kept his promises to Tribal Nations. The American Rescue Plan put over $30 billion into tribal communities. I saw this impact with my own eyes here in Oklahoma, where this money went to stimulus checks, extensive vaccine distribution, and food sovereignty plans.  President Biden has also restored the White House Council on Native American Affairs, created under President Obama and tossed aside under the previous administration. On Friday, October 8th, President Joe Biden became the first-ever President to recognize Indigenous People’s Day as a federal holiday. His proclamation reads, “It is a priority of my Administration to make respect for Tribal sovereignty and self-governance the cornerstone of Federal Indian policy.” I can say firmly that Indian Country is better off today than we were a year ago. 

In celebration of today, I have two calls to action for you all:

First, ask your Senators and Representatives to support H.R. 2773 (S. 2372) Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021. This legislation seeks to empower tribes to preserve their endangered wildlife.

Secondly, to hold your local, state, and federal officials accountable for upholding Tribal Sovereignty. As Democrats, we must stand firm behind affirming the treaty rights of EVERY tribe. 

I hope you join me in celebrating today! 

ᏩᏙ (Wado, Thank you),

Taylor Broadbent (She/Her/Hers)

Citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma

Chair of Young Democrats of America Native American Caucus

President of College Democrats of Oklahoma