Deb Haaland: 'Moving forward on priorities for Indian Country'

When President Joe Biden nominated me to be the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, I felt the profound importance of what that moment meant for Indigenous peoples in our country. I knew then, as I still feel now, that we’re at the beginning of a new era where Indigenous knowledge in our work to combat systemic inequities and craft policies to ensure fairness and a bright future for everyone is valued and prioritized.

Representation matters. When people whose communities have long been underrepresented and oppressed are at the decision-making table, we can develop solutions that benefit all of us.

I’m proud to be part of an administration that recognizes and trusts that my life experiences can inform policy-making in an effort to correct the mistakes of the past and help to create a future our ancestors would be proud of. With humility and gratitude, part of my role at the department is to be a megaphone for tribal issues and bring Indigenous representation to the highest levels of government. Native Americans, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians have pushed for this kind of representation for hundreds of years.

https://indiancountrytoday.com/opinion/deb-haaland-moving-forward-on-priorities-for-indian-country