Laguna Pueblo Woman From New Mexico Chosen To Lead Interior Dept & BIA

First Native American Chosen To Head Agencies That Heavily Impact Natives 

President-elect Joe Biden says he's nominating Deb Haaland,  of New Mexico, to be the first Native American to oversee the U.S. Department of The Interior, which has enormous impact on Natives.

If the U.S. Senate confirms her, Deb Haaland, a freshman representative, will make history. Haaland was one of the first of two Native Americans elected to Congress two years ago.  The Interior Department has a long history, involving land use and Native Americans. It has around 70,000 employees. 

In Alaska, the Department of Interior, with its specific Native-tied bureaus, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education is highly relevant to daily life for many Natives.

The Department of Interior is in charge of:

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Education

Bureau of Land Management

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Bureau of Reclamation

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Bureau of Trust Funds Administration

National Park Service

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

U.S. Fish & Wildlife

U.S. Geological Survey