Media Contact:
Alan Septoff, 202.888.7844, aseptoff@earthworks.org
Statement of Earthworks Executive Director Jennifer Krill
Today by a bipartisan 51-40 vote the Senate confirmed US Rep. Debra Haaland to become the first Native American Secretary of the Interior in U.S. history. The Interior Department oversees the country’s public lands and natural resources, including tribal lands.
Below is a statement from Earthworks Executive Director Jennifer Krill:
“We applaud US Rep. Ms. Haaland’s historic confirmation as the first Native American to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior, or any Cabinet Department. Secretary Haaland is perfectly suited to implement the Biden-Harris administration’s deep commitment to restoring the agency’s conservation mission and repairing some of its injustices. With Secretary Haaland, Interior is poised to provide a more just, equitable and fair balance in public land use decisions, especially for mineral activities impacting Indigenous Peoples.
To help achieve this, we urge Interior to strengthen public lands mining rules, and to follow through on President Biden’s commitment to end oil and gas leasing on public lands.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION
On the eve of Ms. Haaland’s confirmation hearings, Earthworks’ Board member, Environmental Ambassador and Hereditary Drumkeeper of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Casey Camp-Horinek released this statement.
