President-elect Biden historically picked Deb Haaland for leading as the Interior Secretary. Biden’s transition team announced on Thursday evening. If the Senate confirms, Haaland who is a Laguna Pueblo member in the state of New Mexico will be the first Cabinet secretary of Native American origin.
Why Was Deb Haaland Chosen?
Fittingly, Haaland will be appropriate for the Interior Department which is responsible for managing the country’s public land and honoring the treaties made with the ones whose lands got taken. Harris-Biden transition team termed Haaland as the public servant spending her entire career struggling for the families in rural communities, colored communities, and Tribal Nations. She will get ready on the first day for protecting the environment and struggling for a future with clean energy.
Haaland posted a tweet about how growing up inside her mom’s Pueblo household has made her fierce. She promised to be fierce while fighting for our planet, us, and the protected lands. Aaron Weiss, Deputy Director, Western Priorities Center, says that Haaland understands the issues at a very generational level that what it means to care for the lands of America. Haaland’s nomination calls for the victory of environmental groups, tribal governments, and progressive lawmakers lobbying for her to be the Interior Secretary.
Raul Grijalva, a fellow committee member of Natural House Resources recommended Haaland in a letter addressed to the Hispanic Congressional Caucus. However, Haaland has made history earlier by becoming the first Native woman to join Congress alongside Sharice Davids, Rep. Kansas in 2018.
Kandi White commented that the development of uranium and fossil fuels along with rapid cutting down of forests on the tribal lands got accelerated under the administration of Trump and a solution must come. Being a member of Arikara, Mandan, and Hidatsa in the state of North Dakota, White has watched the bad consequences of fracking plus more development firsthand.
