Lay of the Land

One year ago this week, former New Mexico Congresswoman Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) was confirmed as US Interior Secretary, becoming the country’s first Native American cabinet secretary.

“It’s really hard to believe this week marks one year since I was sworn in” Haaland said today during a press briefing with New Mexico journalists. “This past last year has been nothing short of engaging, inspiring and memorable,” she said, adding that if she “had to pick one word, it would be impactful.”

Haaland spoke with reporters by phone from Austin, Texas, where she was scheduled to appear as a featured speaker at SXSW for a talk titled “Auntie Deb’s Guide to Equity & Inclusion.” Her team at the Interior Department, she noted in today’s call, is comprised of more than 60% people of color and more than 70% identifying as women. “Equity and inclusion are infused in all of the work that we do,” she said, “which is made stronger and more effective by having teammates with diverse backgrounds and experiences.” Haaland also noted work DOI has undertaken to “ensure our public lands and water are welcoming to all,” including an initiative to remove all derogatory names from federal lands.

Much of the work Haaland and fellow Native New Mexican Assistant Secretary for Water and Science Tanya Trujillo spoke of today related, naturally, to New Mexico’s natural resources, with a particular emphasis on climate change, as well as forthcoming projects enabled by federal funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But several also touched upon Native American issues Haaland prioritized since she began heading the Interior, including addressing the ongoing issue of missing and murdered Native Americans and the traumatic legacy of Indian boarding schools.

“This has been a big year in the Biden/Harris administration,” Haaland said. “For Indian country, there were some incredible moments that will be part of our collective memory for generations to come.”

Those ranged from dispersing millions of dollars from the American Rescue Plan “to protect elders, young people and entire communities form the terrible virus” to holding a White House Tribal Nations Summit last November. Haaland also referenced steps Interior is taking to protect Chaco Canyon (in January, The Bureau of Land Management formally proposed withdrawing approximately 351,000 acres of public lands surrounding Chaco; the agency is taking comments on the proposal through April 6).

“I was honored to travel to Chaco Canyon to honor our ancestors under the beautiful New Mexico sky that welcomed our celebration,” Haaland said of her trip last November.

While conservation efforts have been front and center, Haaland said the Interior is “also mobilizing an ambitious but necessary effort for transitioning to a clean energy economy,” adding that “nowhere is this happening faster than out West, and New Mexico is central to that effort.” To that end, she cited 11 renewable energy projects in the state approved by the Bureau of Land Management, with 14 more under review. “These kinds of investments will help communities across the country and in New Mexico to be part of the climate solution while creating good paying union jobs,” she said.

Trujillo, in turn, noted the agency now has “the opportunity to invest billions of dollars” to address the significant water and drought concerns in New Mexico and the West. Those dollars will go to conservation, recycling and infrastructure improvements, along with $2.5 billion to help implement Indian Water Rights Settlements, including some in New Mexico.

While much of her work at the Interior has focused on public lands and climate-related reforms, Haaland has also undertaken several projects that address longstanding problems, such as her creation of a new Missing and Murdered Unit within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services to investigate missing and murdered Native Americans, which she announced last April; and an initiative she unveiled last June to comprehensively review the traumatic history of federal Indian boarding schools. She said she anticipates a progress report on that review next month.

“We have been very cognizant of the fact that we need to create a safe space for people to share information and seek resources,” she said regarding a question about sharing information from the boarding school progress report with Native communities. “We recognize this is a very traumatic experience for many people and we want to make sure folks have the resources that they need to get through this.”

While today’s update targeted New Mexico journalists and, as such, had a local focus, Haaland said New Mexico is never far from her thoughts.

“It was in my pueblo and out in the cornfield with my grandfather where I learned how interconnected our world really is and what it means to care for and steward the land,” she said. “I bring my New Mexico roots to work every single day…my heart will always be in New Mexico.” She says she also tries to come home whenever she can “to take in the beautiful Sandia mountains and the gorgeous sunsets” and, on a recent trip, to repack her suitcase “with salsa, red chile and corn tortillas.”