New Mexico’s Albuquerque (AP) When the artwork was removed off the walls of her office, things began to become more real. Over the past four years, as she oversaw one of the largest government agencies in the country, U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has personally selected the collection, which is entirely the work of Indigenous artists.
As guests arrived and departed, exchanging hugs as Haaland attempted to conclude her final day at work, the tears started to fall.
As the first Native American to hold the position of cabinet secretary, she embarked on a historic path four years ago. She arrived with a set of seemingly straightforward yet aspirational objectives: tackling the climate and biodiversity crises, enabling more people to enjoy the outdoors, shedding light on a challenging period in American history, and launching a new era for Indian Country.
Haaland pledged to listen and adopt a balanced approach to issues ranging from protecting water resources during the continuing drought to developing energy on public lands and fulfilling the nation’s commitments to Native Americans. In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, she said she believes she fulfilled that promise.
Haaland thinks that President Joe Biden wanted a cabinet that represented America, which is why he nominated her. Haaland, who is a member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, contributed a unique viewpoint to decision-making at that level.
I genuinely felt as though I depended on my upbringing, my cultural well-being, and the conventional facets of my identity. “I see things through that lens because I’m a Pueblo woman first,” she remarked.
Drill? Not so fast, baby
Haaland was not afraid to speak out against oil and gas and in favor of the Green New Deal even while she was a member of Congress. Republicans questioned her about her extreme views at congressional hearings, claiming that the administration’s opposition to drilling would jeopardize national security and cost the nation jobs.
Citing concerns about climate change, Biden banned the sale of oil and gas leases from the country’s huge public lands and seas in his first days in office. A thorough review was the task assigned to Haaland’s agency. Due to the ensuing legal fighting, scheduled sales of oil and gas leases on public lands in six Western states were put on indefinite hold.
During the Biden administration, leasing resumed and production hit record levels, despite campaign pledges to stop new drilling on federal lands. Today, the United States is producing more than ever before.
While acknowledging that production was high during her tenure, Haaland pointed out that it was accompanied by the conservation of more than 1 million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers) and over four dozen new renewable energy projects on federal lands.
Through administrative withdrawals, certain federal lands were removed from the board. For example, in northwest New Mexico, several tribes pushed for stronger protections for places outside the borders of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
According to Haaland, it turns out that leasing millions and millions of acres is not necessary. To make sure that other property is available for conservation, we put a lot of effort into determining exactly where these leases should take place.
For the love of bears and beyond
While in Congress, Haaland co-sponsored legislation to reintroduce grizzly bears on tribal territory and strengthen their protections. During her time as secretary, the conflict persisted. Despite resistance from Republican-led states, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just this month announced that grizzly bear protections in the Rocky Mountains would remain in place.
As rising temperatures, droughts, and wildfires increase the strain on threatened and endangered species and their habitats, Haaland views climate change and biodiversity concerns as twin issues.
During her term, Haaland established six national wildlife refuges and extended the borders of five others in an attempt to protect more species and increase possibilities for wildlife viewing. The snail darter and the Apache trout, Arizona’s state fish, were among the species that advanced sufficiently to have their protections lifted.
Her support is strongly ingrained in Haaland’s heritage as the original custodians of the land.
“I stand on the shoulders of so many people who have stood up for Indian Country, for women, for civil rights, and for the Earth and its animals,” she remarked.
New era for Indian Country
Haaland’s goal was to bring about what she described as a new era for Indian Country from the beginning. Tribal sovereignty had to be upheld and respected. “With actions, not words,” she said.
For a long time, Native American leaders have viewed the consultation process as a federal checkbox exercise. Therefore, Biden provided directives to prioritize and standardize engagement across federal agencies, while Haaland formed a tribal advisory body within her department.
In order to guarantee the tribes’ involvement in land management, the administration concluded 400 co-stewardship agreements with them. Additionally, additional national monuments were established, reserving ancestral lands throughout the western United States, from the Grand Canyon’s edge to Utah’s sandstone landscapes and California’s palm-tree-dotted deserts.
Haaland also highlighted historic expenditures of around $45 billion for social initiatives and infrastructure projects in the tribe. According to her, this followed decades of oppression, neglect, and underfunding.
Four years isn’t long enough to make up for all the wrongs. Haaland urged tribal leaders to continue speaking up and keeping a seat at the table, saying that these issues would need to be continuous.
Since each of the 574 officially recognized tribes in Indian Country has its own culture, beliefs, and needs, Haaland is well aware that the region is not a monolith. Tribal chiefs occasionally voiced their opinions, accusing Haaland of disregarding worries about the possible impacts of mining or renewable energy projects on places of worship.
A painful chapter of history
One of her biggest achievements was bringing attention to a little-known but troubling chapter in American history: the time when Native American children were taken from their homes and sent to boarding schools to undergo reeducation.
Haaland has discussed how the effort to eradicate language, culture, and identity affected her own grandparents.
She started a unique project to determine the extent of the harm caused by the boarding schools. Millions of documents had to be combed through, and listening sessions were held so community members who were dealing with generational trauma could relate their stories.
Major reports from Haaland’s department revealed the identities of the government-sponsored schools and the whereabouts of hundreds of youngsters who never came home. Policy recommendations to promote healing were listed in the final volume.
Haaland said she had no idea the consequence would be so significant when those recommendations were given to the White House. She didn’t make a special request over the phone to the president. Rather, Biden’s team contacted right away to say the president wanted to apologize.
Haaland made the announcement alongside Biden at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona.
During her departure speech last week in front of a crowded auditorium full of staff members, tribe chiefs, and others, she thought back on that particular time. She claimed to have sensed the strength of people who persisted in the face of insurmountable obstacles so that she and others could stand there that day.
Haaland attributes her own tenacity to community, stating that cooperation is necessary for success. In order to build one of the huge buildings at Chaco Park, her Pueblo ancestors gathered millions of pounds of stone, mixed mortar, and transported water centuries ago, she pointed out.
She added, “I considered the weight of their legacy, which, although heavy, has inspired me to lead this department that attempted to eradicate Indigenous peoples and our ways of life only a few generations ago.”
By Associated Press’s Susan Montoya Bryan
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