Local tribes hail confirmation of Deb Haaland

The Senate’s confirmation this week of the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history is being hailed by at least two local tribes as a win-win.

“The confirmation of Deb Haaland is a huge win for tribes, it’s a huge win for the environment and a huge win for every citizen of the United States,” Yurok Tribe Chairman Joseph L. James said of Haaland’s appointment to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior.

James recalls showing his support for the then-nominee along with tribal governance by putting out a letter of support for the nomination.

“Once we heard there was support for Ms. Haaland to be nominated for secretary of the interior, we really advocated from the Yurok Tribe,” he said. “We were very excited and this was a long time coming. It just makes sense for a Native person to run the department.”

Everett Colegrove Jr., vice chairman of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, congratulated Haaland, calling the naming “well deserved and historical” as well as one which will benefit the world.

“We are ecstatic that her leadership on the Natural Resource Committee and bipartisan efforts have been recognized. Interior Secretary Haaland has become the first Native American to lead a cabinet-level agency and only the third woman to lead the Department of the Interior in its history,” Colegrove’s statement read. Her appointment has inspired many across the country and raised hopes of more equitable federal policy towards indigenous peoples, as well as an improved management of America’s lands and waters.”

Haaland, an enrolled member of New Mexico’s federally-recognized Laguna Pueblo, was nominated to the post by thenPresident elect Joe Biden in December 2020. The Senate confirmed her nomination Monday in a 51-40 vote.

As Secretary of the Interior, Haaland will be tasked with heading the agency which manages federal land and resources, accounting for approximately one fifth of all land across the U.S.

The Department of the Interior also manages the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Locally, the department controls territories and natural resources within and near tribal lands, including the nearby Redwoods National and State Parks and the Klamath River, among other holdings.

While efforts to remove four of six dams currently placed along this waterway throughout Northern California and Southern Oregon began to take momentum during the Trump administration, James stated the tribe’s way of life was hard hit by how the past department management did business.

“Past department administration under Trump was terrible for the Klamath River, I cant underscore that any more,” he stated. “As Yurok tribal people who live off the river for our sustenance, our way of life, there was complete disregard for that in the past administration.

“(Under Haaland) they will have a better understanding regarding water and travel issues. I think she comes from a perspective of a more balanced approach,” he added.

Outside of agency dealings, the Yurok chairman underscored the historical significance of Haaland’s confirmation.

“We have now an opportunity, with the first Native Secretary of the Interior for our voices to be heard,” James said. “We as Indigenous peoples have always been stewards of the land, and knowing the federal government has done tribes wrong in the past, which is well documented, it now feels like it’s all coming full circle.”