President-Elect Joe Biden has chosen Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to lead the Department of the Interior (DOI), making her the first-ever Native American cabinet secretary and to lead the department which is most intertwined with Indian affairs (the Bureau of Indian Affairs, BIA, is under the DOI, after all). She is the third House representative to be chosen and this selection has some major implications on the Democrats’ House majority.
The United States has long had a rocky relationship with its indigenous communities. Anyone who has studied U.S. history will probably be familiar with the fact that ever since Europeans arrived in America, Native Americans were forced off their tribal lands and into the west. The U.S. has had a number of wars with the Indian tribes throughout the 1800s, especially when the U.S. decided to pursue manifest destiny and make the United States spread from sea to shining sea. The Trail of Tears is a famous incident in which the federal government forced tribes off their native lands and into reservations built in Oklahoma and other areas. In fact, Native Americans only gained U.S. citizenship in 1924 following the passage of the Indian Citizenship Act.
Even to this day, the legacy of forcing Native American tribes off their lands had a profound impact on these people. The five million American Indians that live on continue to face greater rates of poverty and continue to deal with massive inequality and discrimination. Many Indians living on reservations continue to face a lack of jobs and capital and are often miles away from civilization. The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, for example, is one of the most poverty-stricken areas of the United States. Unemployment was a whopping 75 percent before COVID.
The selection of Rep. Haaland, representing New Mexico’s First Congressional District and a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, would put her on the forefront at running a number of departments specific to Native Americans, like the aforementioned BIA, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration.
Tribal leaders and historians applauded the selection, calling it a major moment for Native Americans. She would also be at the forefront of Biden’s climate agenda, as the DOI manages America’s national parks and public lands and controls America’s oil and natural resources.
Progressives praised the selection of Haaland, with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from N.Y. calling it a watershed moment for an increasingly diverse progressive movement. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts also supported the pick. She has been an ardent supporter of Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Green New Deal,” a headline progressive policy that aims to cut America’s fossil fuel emissions and make the country greener and more sustainable.
She also has deep experience in the area, having served as the chair of the congressional Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands. Over 50 House Democrats recommended her appointment to lead Interior.
However, her selection is a major problem for the Democrats’ razor-thin House majority. With her being the third congressperson selected for a Cabinet job, it will mean that the Democrats will hold the absolute thinnest majority in the House until a special election can be held (all three come from safe blue districts, so that isn’t a problem). Such a narrow majority could be an issue for the Democrats when trying to advance a more liberal agenda. It would also rest on the fate of the Georgia Senate runoffs, which will take place on Jan. 5.
In any case, Rep. Deb Haaland is an excellent choice to serve in Biden’s cabinet and to lead the Department of the Interior. She will join a number of historic firsts to serve in the most diverse presidential cabinet in American history.