What Deb Haaland’s Confirmation Means for Climate Change Policy and Indigenous People in America
Former New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland and the Biden administration’s Secretary of the Interior is heading to the US Cabinet following her official confirmation on Mar. 18. Haaland’s confirmation marks a new day for climate justice within the Department of the Interior and she will be the first Indigenous Interior Secretary and member of the Cabinet.
During her hearing, she emphasized her focus on clean energy as opposed to fossil fuels and wants to make changes in the country’s relationship with climate policy.
“The department has a role in harnessing the clean energy potential of our public lands to create jobs and new economic opportunities,” Haaland said. “The president’s agenda demonstrates that America’s public lands can and should be engines for clean energy production.”
Now that Haaland is confirmed, she will be walking into a struggling department. The Trump administration, which not only mishandled climate policy but refused to acknowledge climate change as a whole which did a significant amount of damage. Former Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt, one of several Interior Secretaries during the Trump administration, came under investigation for conflict of interest complaints as Bernhardt previously worked for the natural resources practice at a lobbying and law firm. At Bernhardt’s firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, he represented oil companies as well as the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA), a lobbying group for oil and gas producers. Former president Trump also sowed seeds of doubt into the climate movement through his adamant denial of science.
Hopefully, Haaland will lead the way for progressive climate policy that our world must consider if our planet and ecosystems are to survive. As a member of Pueblo of Laguna, Haaland understands the struggles of both our environment and our indigenous communities; they have both been ignored, sidelined and persecuted for too long.
Some of her most important policy includes the “30 By 30” executive order which Haaland sponsored as a resolution in Congress. The “Thirty by Thirty Resolution to Save Nature” seeks to protect 30 percent of U.S. land by the year 2030 which scientists deem a minimum step against our own endangerment. The policy would create a new precedent for American environmental efforts as conservation helps promote biodiversity, protect ecosystems and create climate relationships across states and different local governments. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) called the policy “a security deposit on a new relationship with nature.”
Following the announcement of her nomination in December, the hashtag #DebForInterior blew up online with organizations and activists, urging constituents to call their Senators and ask them to confirm Haaland. Graphics featuring Haaland were shared online as Indigenous activists promoted her nomination and sought to inform the public of Haaland’s service-oriented character. Amidst the excitement, her nomination gained national media attention when celebrities like Kerry Washington and Cher also signed a letter to the Biden/Harris administration with support from over 100 women, according to Variety.
NDN Collective, a North Dakota based Indigenous organization that seeks to “build Indigenous power”, said that media efforts played an important role in Haaland’s nomination and confirmation. They also said Haaland’s role has excited Native and non-Native people across the country.
“While her candidacy looks stronger than ever, it’s important for all her supporters to not let up until she’s been sworn in,” NDN wrote on their blog before Haaland was confirmed. “The letters, calls, tweets and even memes add up and really can make a difference.”
Many Indigenous groups and individuals hope that Haaland in the Biden/Harris administration cabinet will help American-Tribal relations significantly as the Department of the Interior deals with land buy-backs and natural resource management. Furthermore, some hope her Indigenous background will help inform her climate policy in regards to land conservation. According to The Guardian, Haaland also wore Laguna Pueblo moccasins and an Indigenous inspired outfit at her swearing-in ceremony designed by the Indigenous brand Reecreations.
The group Indigenous Rising said that Haaland as Secretary of the Interior means policy that protects public lands and financially supports tribal nations.
“We are confident Representative Haaland will help facilitate the Biden/Harris vision for dealing with climate change, addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Indian Country, ensuring an effective economic recovery plan for Indian Tribes, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians and communities, overseeing the protection of public lands, and fulfilling all treaty and statutory obligations,” they said via Instagram.
In 2020, Haaland led the “PROGRESS for Indian Tribes Act” passage in Congress. The act supported tribal self-governance which is an area of concern for Indigenous communities. The US government passed the The Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (ISDEAA), but many leaders felt the legislation could be improved upon to improve “government to government “ relations.
“Self-governance has been extraordinarily beneficial for Tribes to manage successful programs with the flexibility to utilize federal funds in a way that best fits the needs of their communities,” Rep. Deb Haaland said. “Tribes are their own best stewards. However, serious gaps continue to exist that hinder the full exercise of Tribal self-governance.”
One image posted by the Lakota People’s Law Project on Instagram features Haaland’s side profile, posing for an old-style photograph, similar to photos of tribal chiefs and Native women taken over 100 years ago. The photo resembles images taken by late-19th century photographer Frank Albert Rinehart who was commissioned to photograph the Indian Congress. Haaland looks serious yet hopeful, authoritative and empathetic. She looks like the leader our country should have had long ago.
