ROB CHANEY
PABLOÂ â Minutes before the start of a Tribal Council meeting, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chairwoman Shelly Fyant took a moment to consider the confirmation of Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary.
âIt gives me chills,â Fyant said. âGrandmothers all over the world are talking about the shift the world has taken â to have a Native American and a woman to serve an agency that hasnât always done the greatest job in Indian Country.â
Overcoming opposition led in part by Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines, Haaland earned a 51-40 vote in the Senate on Monday to join President Joe Bidenâs Cabinet. As Interior Secretary, Haaland oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, Indian Water Rights Office, Fish and Wildlife Service and other departments that have a direct impact on the Flathead Indian Reservation.