Rep. Deb HaalandPresident-elect Joe Biden has nominated Rep. Deb Haaland of New Mexico to be United States Secretary of the Interior, NPR reported.
As a member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico, Haaland would become the first Native American to have a cabinet secretary role amid a Senate confirmation.
Biden’s transition team described her as a “barrier-breaking public servant who has spent her career fighting for families, including in Tribal Nations, rural communities and communities of color.”
The U.S. Department of the Interior focuses on preserving cultural heritage sites, wildlife refuges and national parks. It is also responsible for managing one-fifth of the land within the U.S., according to NPR.
“Growing up in my mother’s Pueblo household made me fierce,” Haaland wrote on Twitter. “I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land.I’ll be fierce for all of us, our planet, and all of our protected land. I am honored and ready to serve.”
