In Indian Country, tears, hope and defiance over nomination of first Native Cabinet secretary

[Judi Lynn]

American Indians have high hopes that Deb Haaland, Biden’s pick for interior secretary, can reset the troubled relationship between the federal government and Indigenous peoples. Can she deliver?



The nominee for interior secretary, Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), speaks after President-elect Joe Biden announced his climate and energy appointments. (Joshua Roberts/Getty Images)


By
Darryl Fears,
Dana Hedgpeth and
Reid Singer
Dec. 24, 2020 at 1:10 p.m. CST

BERNALILLO, N.M. — In her little home office, a cubbyhole in an apartment north of Albuquerque, Phoebe Suina was listening to the start of yet another presentation on a long Zoom call.

Then suddenly the speaker’s eyes teared up and her voice shook as she shared news: President-elect Joe Biden had selected Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), a Pueblo Indian like herself and most of the 20 people on the call, to become interior secretary.

“My first line was, Are you for real? Am I dreaming?” said Suina, who also started to cry. Her daughter and son rushed to her side. “In our native language, they asked, ‘Why are you crying, Mom?’ And I told them these were tears of joy.”

Tears seemed to rain all over Indian Country after Haaland’s selection was announced last week.
American Indians celebrated in the New Mexican Pueblos where Haaland grew up, in the sprawling Navajo Nation farther to the north, in Dakota country that extends into Canada and on the tiny strip of land where the Wampanoag tribe first greeted Europeans who made the pilgrimage to the Americas centuries ago before they founded a nation that sought to obliterate Indigenous people.

Within minutes, Haaland’s name started trending on Twitter. On Instagram, Lani Mekeel, an Oglala Lakota feminist who hosts a podcast, posted a split screen video in which she raised a fist and wept while listening to a speech Haaland had delivered at the Democratic National Convention in August.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CI9EeLlptmH/?utm_source=ig_embed

More:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/12/24/native-americans-haaland/

[jaxexpat]

1. Quite a task ahead for this lady. Good luck, the nation needs the help of a strong Pueblo woman.

However, to "reset the troubled relationship between the federal government and Indigenous peoples" will require a great migration of white people back to Europe (and other continents of origin). I don't think many of these countries will welcome 71,000,000 Trump supporters.

[SunSeeker]

4. Native Americans don't want expulsion of European Americans from the US.

They want reparations, the truth to be told in history books, and criminal justice reform. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/20/california-native-americans-governor-apology-reparations

[jaxexpat]

6. My response was to the posters describing the Secretary's intention to "reset".

I'm kind of a stickler about word usage. I understand that native Americans are reasonable in their expectations, though many will misunderstand and disagree.

[pazzyanne]

2. I was so happy when Deb Haaland was nominated.

Finally our lands will get the attention they deserve. The past four years have wounded my heart and the lands that have been set aside to be protected for the future. January 20th healing will begin.

[democrank]

3. Deb Haaland's nomination made me beyond happy.

Long time coming....

[MustLoveBeagles]

5. K&R