AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File
President-elect Joe Biden has officially selected Rep. Deb Haaland as his nominee to serve as Secretary of the Interior, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Haaland would the first Native American to serve in a presidential Cabinet, and is poised to play a key role in repairing the historically fraught relationship between Native tribes and the federal government.
Two Native activists told Insider they are optimistic and hopeful about the selection. We all get very excited just thinking about the opportunity to really finally start to reset that relationship that the federal government has with tribes, Crystal Echo Hawk, executive director of nonprofit Illumi
mtv The New Mexico congresswoman makes history as President-elect Joe Biden s pick to head the department
12/17/2020
President-elect Joe Biden has selected New Mexico Representative Deb Haaland to head the Department of the Interior in his administration, outlets are reporting, a historic move that would see Haaland as the first Indigenous American appointed to the position of a cabinet secretary in the United States.
If her nomination is confirmed by the Senate, Haaland, a first-term member of the House of Representatives and member of Pueblo of Laguna, would lead the department that conserves and manages the nation s natural resources and cultural heritage for the benefit and enjoyment of the American people, provides scientific and other information about natural resources and natural hazards to address societal challenges and create opportunities for the American people, and honors the nation s trust responsibilities or special commitments to Am
But overcoming obstacles to cast a ballot in the first place is not an uncommon experience for many of the estimated 6.8 million Native American individuals residing in the United States and members of the 574 federally-recognized Native tribes, according to activists and experts interviewed by Insider.
An extensive report conducted by the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, a project of the Native American Rights Fund (NARF), based on two years of research in Native communities across the country and released in June, found that Native voters still face inequitable access to registering to vote, casting a vote, and having their vote count.
Kerry Washington and Cher Among Those Urging Joe Biden to Nominate Rep Deb Haaland as Interior Secretary lmtonline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lmtonline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.