For the First Time, a Native American Will Sit at the Cabinet Table in the White House

For the first time in American history, a Native American woman will lead the Interior Department, the federal agency instrumental to the demise of Indigenous communities. Her appointment is part of the healing process for America’s First Nations.

“It’s momentous to see an Indian promoted out of the shadows of American history to a seat at the table in the White House,” says Elizabeth Kronk Warner, dean and professor of law at the University of Utah, and a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians. “Tribes and the federal government have a relationship that goes back to the 18th century — but despite that relationship, we have never had an American Indian at this level of government.”

Deb Haaland, the congressional representative from New Mexico and citizen of Laguna Pueblo, one of the 574 federally recognized tribes, will contribute to the well-being of the $1.9 million Indigenous people across the United States. The 500 million acres of public lands, the oil ad drilling sites, and the endangered species habitat will be under her responsibility, as will be the implementation of President-elect Biden’s climate change agenda. Mrs. Haaland already made history in 2018 when she and Shadice Davids were the first two Native American women to be elected to Congress.