US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland reflects on tough choices during a historic tenure

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It started to get real when the artwork was removed from the walls of her office. The collection—all creations by Indigenous artists—was selected by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland over the past four years as she directed one of the country’s most expansive federal agencies.

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Then came the tears as people came and went, exchanging hugs as Haaland tried to finish her last day in the office.

Four years ago, she embarked on a historic journey as the first Native American to serve as Cabinet Secretary. It came up with a series of seemingly simple but ambitious goals: address the climate and biodiversity crisis, make the outdoors accessible to more people, lift the veil on a difficult chapter in American history, and usher in a new era for Indian Country.

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From developing energy on public lands and securing water supplies amid ongoing drought to fulfilling the nation’s promises to Native Americans, Haaland pledged to take a balanced approach — and listen. She told The Associated Press in an interview on Friday that she feels she has fulfilled that pledge.

Haaland believes that President Joe Biden nominated her for this position because he wanted a government that reflects America. As a member of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, Haaland brings a different perspective — one that has never before been incorporated into decision-making at this level.

“I really felt like I was drawing on the way I was raised, my cultural well-being, and the traditional aspects of my personality. I’m a Pueblo woman first, and I see things through that lens,” she said.

holes? Not so fast, my dear

Even during her time in Congress, Haaland has not been shy about voicing her opposition to oil and gas and support of the Green New Deal. She has been questioned during congressional hearings about her “extremist views,” with Republicans suggesting that the administration’s aversion to drilling would cost the country jobs and harm national security.

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In his first days in office, Biden halted oil and gas lease sales from the country’s vast public lands and waters, citing concerns about climate change. Haaland’s agency has been commissioned to conduct a comprehensive review. Legal wrangling ensued, leading to an indefinite delay in planned oil and gas lease sales on public lands in six states in the West.

Despite campaign promises to end new drilling on federal lands, leasing has resumed and production has reached record levels during the Biden administration, with the United States now producing more than ever before.

Haaland acknowledged that production was high during her tenure, but noted that it came with nearly fourteen new renewable energy projects on federal lands and the preservation of more than a million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers).

Some federal lands have been taken away through administrative withdrawals, such as in northwestern New Mexico where some tribes have called for greater protection of areas outside the boundaries of Chaco Cultural National Historic Park.

“As it turns out, you don’t have to lease millions and millions of acres,” Haaland said. “We’ve really worked to focus on where these leases should take place so that we can ensure that other lands are open for conservation.”

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For the love of bears and beyond

Haaland co-sponsored legislation while in Congress to increase protections for grizzly bears and reintroduce them on tribal lands. It was a battle that continued while she was a secretary. Just this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced continued protection for grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains despite opposition from Republican-led states.

Haaland sees threats to biodiversity and climate change as dual challenges, with rising temperatures, drought and wildfires increasing pressure on endangered species and their homes.

As part of efforts to protect more species and provide more wildlife viewing opportunities, Haaland established six national wildlife refuges and expanded the boundaries of five more during her tenure. Among the species that have progressed enough to remove protections are the Apache trout – Arizona’s state fish – and the snail tetra.

For Haaland, her advocacy has deep roots, stemming from her ancestors who were the first stewards of the land.

“I stand on the shoulders of so many people who have spoken out for the land and its animals, who have stood up for Indian country, for women, for civil rights,” she said.

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A new era for Indian Country

From the beginning, Haaland wanted to usher in what she called a new era for Indian Country. This means honoring and elevating tribal sovereignty. She said not in words but in actions.

Native American leaders have long viewed the consultation process as a discretionary exercise for the federal government. So Haaland created a tribal advisory committee within her department, while Biden issued mandates to set priorities and standardize consultations across federal agencies.

The administration has reached 400 joint management agreements with the tribes, ensuring their role in land management. New national monuments were created, setting aside ancestral lands throughout the western United States, from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the sandstone landscapes of Utah and the palm-fringed deserts of California.

Haaland also pointed to record investments of about $45 billion for tribal infrastructure projects and social programs. She said this came after decades of underfunding, neglect and oppression.

“You can’t right every wrong in just four years. These things have to continue,” Haaland said, encouraging the tribal leaders to remain vocal and keep their seat at the table.

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Haaland is keenly aware that Indian Country is not a monolith, as each of the 574 federally recognized tribes has its own culture, beliefs, and needs. There have been times when tribal leaders have spoken out, saying Haaland is ignoring concerns about the potential impacts of mining or renewable energy projects on sacred sites.

A painful chapter of history

One of her greatest accomplishments was to shed light on a relatively unknown part of America’s history—a dark period in which Native American children were taken from their families and taken to boarding schools to be reprogrammed.

Haaland spoke about how her grandparents were victims of a campaign to erase language, culture and identity.

An initiative was launched, the first of its kind, to reveal the extent of the damage to boarding schools. The heartbreaking work involved searching through millions of documents and holding listening sessions where community members suffering from generational trauma shared their experiences.

Haaland’s administration issued major reports identifying which schools received government support and revealing the fate of hundreds of children who never returned home. The final volume included policy recommendations to aid recovery.

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Those recommendations were transferred to the White House, where Haaland said she had no idea the outcome would be so profound. She did not call the president and make a special request. Instead, the Biden team immediately called and said the president wanted to issue an apology.

Haaland joined Biden at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona to make the announcement.

She reflected on that moment during a farewell speech she gave last week to a room packed with employees, tribal leaders and others. She said she felt the strength of those who persevered in the face of unimaginable odds so she and others could stand there that day.

Haaland emphasizes her perseverance to the community, saying that things can only be achieved when people work together. She pointed to her Pueblo ancestors centuries ago collecting millions of pounds of stone, mixing mortar and hauling water to build one of the great homes in Chaco Park.

“I thought about the weight of their heritage, a weight that, as heavy as it is, led me to lead this department, which just a few generations ago tried to erase Indigenous peoples and our ways of life,” she said.

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