President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M.), an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe, to serve as secretary of the interior. In 2018, Haaland, 60, became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. “A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of Interior,” Haaland tweeted late Thursday. The Interior Department employs more than 70,000 people and manages 500 million acres of federal land — roughly one-fifth of the U.S. — including the 62 national parks. Native American tribal leaders and dozens of lawmakers ― Democrats and Republicans ― have been urging Biden to select Haaland for the position.

Source: Huffington Post December 17, 2020 19:24 UTC