US Interior Secretary Deb Haaland reflects on tough choices during a historic tenure

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It started to get real when the artwork was taken down from her office walls. The collection — all creations of Indigenous artists — had been handpicked by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland over the last four years as she guided one of the nation’s most expansive federal agencies.

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Then came the tears as people came and went, sharing hugs while Haaland tried to wrap up her last day at the office.

She set out four years ago on a historic journey as the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She came in with a series of seemingly simple but ambitious goals: address the climate and biodiversity crisis, make the outdoors accessible to more people, lift the veil on a difficult chapter in American history, and usher in a new era for Indian Country.

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From energy development on public lands and securing water resources amid ongoing drought to making good on the nation’s promises to Native Americans, Haaland vowed to take a balanced approach — and to listen. She told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that she feels she lived up to that vow.

Haaland believes President Joe Biden nominated her for the job because he wanted a cabinet that reflected America. As a member of Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, Haaland brought a different perspective _ one never before infused into decision-making at that level.

“I really felt like I relied on the way I was raised, on my cultural wellbeing, the traditional aspects of who I am. I’m a pueblo woman first,” she said, “and I see things through that lens.”

Drill? Not so fast, baby

Even during her time in Congress, Haaland wasn’t shy about voicing opposition to oil and gas and supporting the Green New Deal. She was grilled during congressional hearings about her “radical views,” with Republicans suggesting the administration’s distaste for drilling would cost the country jobs and compromise national security.

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In his first days in office, Biden shut down oil and gas lease sales from the nation’s vast public lands and waters, citing worries about climate change. Haaland’s agency was charged with doing a comprehensive review. Court wrangling ensued, resulting in an indefinite delay in planned oil and gas lease sales on public lands in a half-dozen states in the West.

Despite campaign promises to end new drilling on federal lands, leasing resumed and production reached record levels during the Biden administration, with the U.S. now producing more than ever before.

Haaland acknowledged production was high during her tenure, but she noted that it came with nearly four dozen new renewable energy projects on federal lands and the conservation of more than 1 million square miles (2.7 million square kilometers).

Some federal land was taken off the board through administrative withdrawals, like that in northwestern New Mexico where some tribes advocated for greater protections for areas beyond the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

“As it turns out, you don’t have to lease millions and millions of acres,” Haaland said. “We really worked at zeroing in on where these leases should happen so that we can ensure that other land is open to conservation.”

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For the love of bears and beyond

Haaland co-sponsored legislation while in Congress to increase protections for grizzly bears and reintroduce them on tribal lands. It was a fight that continued while she was secretary. Just this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced continued protections for grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountains despite opposition from Republican-led states.

Haaland sees threats to biodiversity and climate change as twin challenges, as rising temperatures, drought and wildfires put more pressure on endangered and threatened species and their homes.

As part of an effort to protect more species and provide more wildlife viewing opportunities, Haaland created six national wildlife refuges and expanded the boundaries of five more during her tenure. Species that made enough progress to have protections removed included the Apache trout — Arizona’s state fish — and the snail darter.

For Haaland, her advocacy is deeply rooted, stemming from ancestors who served as the first stewards of the land.

“I stand on the shoulders of so many people that have spoken out for the Earth and its animals, who stood up for Indian Country, for women, for civil rights,” she said.

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New era for Indian Country

From the start, Haaland wanted to usher in what she called a new era for Indian Country. That meant honoring and elevating tribal sovereignty. Not with words but with actions, she said.

Native American leaders have long considered the consultation process a check-the-box exercise for the federal government. So Haaland established a tribal advisory committee within her department, while Biden issued mandates for prioritizing and standardizing consultation across federal agencies.

The administration reached 400 co-stewardship agreements with tribes, ensuring their role in land management. And new national monuments were created, setting aside ancestral lands across the western U.S., from the edge of the Grand Canyon to sandstone landscapes in Utah and palm-tree dotted deserts in California.

Haaland also pointed to record investments of nearly $45 billion for tribal infrastructure projects and social programs. This came after decades of underfunding, neglect and oppression, she said.

“You can’t right every single wrong in just four years. These things are going to have to be ongoing,” Haaland said, encouraging tribal leaders to stay vocal and maintain a seat at the table.

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Haaland is keenly aware that Indian Country isn’t a monolith, as each of the 574 federally recognized tribes has its own culture, beliefs and needs. There were times when tribal leaders spoke out, saying Haaland was ignoring concerns about the potential effects of mining or renewable energy projects on sacred places.

A painful chapter of history

One of her greatest accomplishments was shining a light on a relatively untold part of America’s history — a dark period in which Native American children were ripped away from their families and carted off to boarding schools for reprogramming.

Haaland has talked about her own grandparents being victims of the campaign to erase language, culture and identity.

She launched a first-of-its kind initiative to uncover the scope of the damage done by the boarding schools. The heartbreaking work involved combing through millions of documents and holding listening sessions where community members struggling with generational trauma shared their experiences.

Haaland’s department turned out major reports that identified the schools that had government support and uncovered the fates of hundreds of children who never returned home. The final volume listed policy recommendations to aid in healing.

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Those recommendations were turned over to the White House, with Haaland saying she had no idea the outcome would be so profound. She didn’t call the president and make a special request. Instead, Biden’s team called immediately and said the president wanted to issue an apology.

Haaland joined Biden at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona for the announcement.

She reflected on that moment during a farewell address last week before a packed auditorium of employees, tribal leaders and others. She said she could feel the power of those who persevered through unthinkable odds so she and others could stand there that day.

Haaland chalks up her own perseverance to community, saying things can be accomplished only when people work together. She pointed to her pueblo ancestors centuries ago gathering millions of pounds of stone, mixing mortar and hauling water to construct one of the great houses at the Chaco park.

“I thought about the weight of their legacy,” she said, “a weight that, while heavy, has motivated me to lead this department, which just a few generations ago tried to erase Indigenous peoples and our ways of life.”

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