Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was born in Winslow, Arizona, and is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. She elevated Indigenous issues from the Southwest by leaning into her roots as the nation’s first Native American Cabinet secretary.
“I’m really proud of my time here,” Haaland told KJZZ News. “Did we get to every single thing? Um, no. They’ve gone through many eras of underfunding and neglect, so we did everything we could with what we were given. President Biden saw and listened to Indian Country.”
She has been reportedly eyeing a run to become her home state’s next governor in 2026, which may lead to a Democratic primary showdown with three-term New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich, who is also considering a bid. Haaland hasn’t made any announcement yet about her possible candidacy.
Haaland talked with KJZZ News in December about her historic appointment and legacy.
GABRIEL PIETRORAZIO: Secretary, I wanted to ask you, first and foremost, in your own words, what would you consider to be the successes of your administration and some of the shortcomings from your end?
DEB HAALAND: Oh, sure. Well, of course, really proud of the work we have been able to do with Indian Country, right? Bringing them to the table. I started the Secretary's Tribal Advisory Committee. Tribal Consultation was a priority of his. And so, of course, we embrace that, and not just us. It was an all of government approach, right?
The White House Council on Native American Affairs was we restarted under President Biden, record investments for Indian Country, $45 billion to essentially make the lives of tribal people better across the country.
Co-stewardship agreements, you know, this is enduring change that we hope will happen our 400 co-stewardship agreements. You know, when tribes were pushed off of their lands, they still have an obligation to care for their ancestral homelands, many of which are public lands now and so grateful that tribes have really wanted to enter into co-stewardship agreements with us and share their knowledge that they have acquired over millennia to help us steward those lands.
And one other thing I will say about tribes is access to capital. We worked really hard to make sure that the philanthropic organizations really started investing in tribes. So we had a number of round table conversations throughout my administration, sometimes here, sometimes out, to make sure that we were bringing those organizations together with tribes. We want to make sure that they are investing to make the lives of people better.
Look, we started a transition, a clean energy transition under this administration. President Biden, has had a, or does have, still has a goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 we that was a 10-year span. We met the halfway point in less than four years.
We brought tribes to the table, with respect to the Colorado River and negotiations, tribes were never invited to have a seat at that table, and because of our leadership here at the department, we made sure that tribes had a seat at that table. That was incredibly important, and, quite frankly, historic.
PIETRORAZIO: For sure, also to reiterate as well, so I understand those were a lot of the successes. Were there any shortcomings? Now, looking back at the end of your four years as the secretary, is there anything that you know you wish could have been accomplished more as a part of this Biden agenda for Indian Country, was there anything that could have been dealt differently?
HAALAND: Sure, sure. Well, of course, we still have a month left, and everybody is still working super hard to get more things across the finish line. You know, as I have often said, the wheels of government turn very slowly sometimes, and yes, there are likely a number of things by the time Jan. 20th rolls around that, you know, we wish that perhaps we could have moved a little bit faster. But I will be honest with you, my team here has worked incredibly hard at so many things, and so regardless, I'm proud of the work that they have done, and really proud to have been their colleague.
PIETRORAZIO: You mentioned earlier the Biden clean energy transition. One of the issues that I've been closely covering here in Arizona and in the Four Corners more broadly, has been the uranium mining that's been growing. And this issue is tied also directly to, you know, Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — the Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument here in Arizona. All that being said, I'm curious you had any thoughts about those national monument designations being rolled back?
HAALAND: Right, the way I look at it, President Biden has conserved more land than any president in modern history, and many of those were tribally led conservation efforts. I want to say that, you know, we did that with the intention that we are protecting these lands for future generations. You know, it's hard for me to speculate or to think about a hypothetical where those protections are taken away.
What I really hope happens is, especially for the tribally led conservation efforts, is that the tribes stay engaged, that they keep moving forward on the plans that they have for these specific areas. And my guess is that the tribes will absolutely stay engaged, that they will keep their voices front and center, and I'm going to be on the sidelines cheering for them that they do.
PIETRORAZIO: Speaking on the transition side, something that I've been covering really closely, and I was curious to get your thoughts on this. But are you hopeful that President-elect Donald Trump and the Cabinet will honor President Biden's boarding school apology, when it comes to reckoning with the history, which I think is one of your standing accomplishments during your tenure here at the department?
HAALAND: With respect to the boarding schools, the President made the apology. There's nothing that anyone can do to take that back, right? Tribes heard that. He did it on Indian land, he was sincere. That is done and nobody can take that back. With respect to the other issues for the boarding school, the national monument, the proclamation has been signed. The National Park Service will move forward with how they interpret it regardless, as well.
You know, right now, we're working on an oral history project. It's with the Smithsonian. I will say the National Endowment for the Humanities has been incredibly supportive of this particular project with our department, and that will move forward as well. You know, some things you just can't undo, some things you can't unhear. We had a 12-month “Road to Healing” across Indian Country where we heard directly from survivors and descendants that these are things that happened and they can't be undone.
So I think that those things will keep moving forward. I just feel like we're in a new era. I think more people know about this now, and that was our goal, to make sure that this history, Native American history, is American history.
PIETRORAZIO: In the weeks following Trump's announcement for your successor, Doug Burgum, North Dakota governor, you have any thoughts on him as a nominee, and is there any advice that you'd like to pass on to him?
HAALAND: Thank you. I do know Gov. Burgum. He's always been very nice to me. I've met him since I've been in this position. Of course, we are working doing our best with the transition, and we will make sure that we are absolutely doing everything that's required of us. President Biden wants a smooth transition. We're going to make sure that we do that. Of course, I will always hope for the best. You know, the 65,000 career staff who were here, they wake up every day ready to serve the American people. They're amazing public servants, so the work will absolutely continue.
PIETRORAZIO: Throughout my travels across Indian Country, I heard from some leaders that they were disappointed. They felt that they didn't have enough time to have consultation with the Interior Department. Some of the meetings or arrangements were kind of too scheduled or rigid in some respects, that didn't allow for opportunity for dialogue or discussion to occur. I just wanted to raise those comments that were brought to my attention, if you'd like to respond to that directly.
HAALAND: When we first got here, and of course, as I mentioned, President Biden, one of his top priorities was tribal consultation. We actually had a consultation to ask tribes how they would like to be consulted. So we had a consultation regarding consultations even before we started. And so what I can say is that our door has always been open.
There have been, you know, four tribal nations summits. We have a Bureau of Indian Affairs that has been open to tribes. You know, tribes when they visit D.C., they schedule meetings with my staff and with me. And, and not to mention the fact that four years you think it's a long time when you first get here, but when you start traveling around, you don't have time to do every single thing you wanted to.
But I have visited almost 300 tribes, I believe, across the country, and you know, we have given them opportunities to spend the time how they saw fit. You know, I would say that if there are still tribes out there that need to speak with someone, they should give us a call.
PIETRORAZIO: That four years probably flew by very fast. I want to take a moment because, you know, born here Arizona, have a strong connection to the pueblo communities, and you know, the All Council of Governors New Mexico, and you and your family. How special was this experience for you to be the Interior secretary, to uplift issues that are unique to the Southwest, unelectrified homes and access to water infrastructure?
You brought a lot of focus to those issues that were kind of overlooked for quite some time. And you know, I'm curious, what was it like for you to elevate the Southwest through the administration in many ways based on your own your upbringing with the Pueblo Laguna?
HAALAND: Oh absoulely, yes, and, you know, I can remember when visiting my grandmother at the village of Mesita with no, no electricity, no running water. When we were kids, we used to have to get our bucket and go to the spigot in the middle of the village and fill it up and bring it back for my grandma to use. I totally understand what that's like, you know, to go to a place like Hopi in Arizona and see that their homes now with solar electricity, it feels so rewarding.
Because you think how much time that will save that family to give them that resource, and it's a natural resource, the sun putting it to work for tribes across our country. That has been incredibly rewarding. And of course, you know, seeing that folks have running water for the first time. You know, it's hard for people living in cities to realize what it's like for people in these rural communities, but I want us to keep paying attention to rural America.
They shouldn't have to move to have something. We should do everything we can to make sure that we can provide for them. So, so many things that we were able to accomplish, and I'm really proud of my time here. Did we get to every single thing? No, they've gone through many eras of underfunding and neglect, and so we did everything we could with what we were given. And really, very proud that President Biden saw and listened to Indian Country, and a lot of that translated into lands, yes in the West.
PIETRORAZIO: You mentioned Biden, talked about how he was the most consequential president for Indian country at the White House summit just a few weeks ago. I was wondering you could elaborate on that. And if there was a message that you could have gave yourself before you started as the Interior secretary, what would that message be now, at the end of your term?
HAALAND: Well, I mean, I think you know, as I mentioned, President Biden has been, he's been amazing for Indian Country, not just the funding, but the listening. The tribally led conservation efforts, right, of Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni — Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon — that you mentioned. Bears Ears, that was one of the first proclamations that he signed. He did it on the White House lawn, and that was one of the first things that I was able to witness when I took this position. So he has been incredibly attentive to Indian Country, and I'm really proud of that.
A message I could have given myself?
My goodness, you know, it's I mean, and I'm happy to have found this out myself, that we have the most amazing public servants, and I didn't realize this. In a way, I was kind of like other Americans, you know, that people are working — you don't realize exactly the jobs that they're doing to make your life better.
And I know that now, here at the department, just some amazing career professionals, lawyers, engineers, biologists, ecologists, scientists who study water and streams and you know, the folks who are working to protect animals from going extinct. These are all career professionals who I am so incredibly grateful for, now that I have seen them in action, and I hope that I've been able to convey my appreciation to them as time has gone by.
PIETRORAZIO: Secretary Haaland, thank you so much for your time and having the opportunity to speak with us, we really appreciate it.
HAALAND: Thank you so much [inaudible], take care.
