Help Make History
Congresswoman Deb Haaland is the right choice for the Secretary of Interior. As an enrolled citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, and one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress, she has spent her life standing up for Native people and tribal sovereignty.
Contact your Senators to confirm Haaland’s appointment today!
The Department of Interior is responsible for upholding the treaty and trust responsibilities to the 574 federally recognized tribes in the United States. These tribal nations together comprise more than 5.2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives whose forebears made incalculable sacrifices in the history of our nation. The daily decisions and actions of the Department of Interior directly impact tribal communities, more so than any other in the United States. The scope of these decisions range from economic development, education, law enforcement, self-governance, and tribal trust lands. But, in its 171-year history, the Department of Interior has never been led by a person who represents the people most affected by the decisions of the Department.
The U.S. Department of the Interior has a unique responsibility to Native people. DOI is the primary federal agency charged with carrying out the United States’ trust responsibility to American Indian and Alaska Native people, maintaining the government-to-government relationship with the federally recognized tribes, and promoting and supporting tribal self-determination.
DOI oversees programs that affect virtually every part of daily life for Native people and tribal communities. DOI oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which holds billions of dollars generated from tribal lands in trust, 55 million acres of tribal land, tribal law enforcement, housing improvement, disaster relief, administration of tribal courts and more.
The Department of Interior should be led by someone who represents the communities and people whose lives it impacts most. In it’s 171 year history, the DOI has never been led by a representative of the people it most affects. Since inception, DOI has been led by 53 different secretaries of the interior, all of whom were white people.
Congresswoman Haaland is a champion for Indigenous communities everywhere. As an enrolled citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, and one of the first two Native American Women elected to Congress, Deb Haaland has spent her life standing up for Native people and Tribal Sovereignty.
The appointment of Congresswoman Haaland as Secretary of Interior has bipartisan support. Congresswoman Haaland cares deeply about rural and western communities and comes from a family of hunters, farmers, and ranchers. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle see this and believe she will have a balanced approach to Interior decisions; ones that will represent all Americans including rural communities, reservation communities, working class communities and communities of color whose perspectives and experiences have too often been ignored.
Congresswoman Haaland represents all Americans. Congresswoman Haaland understands the economic struggles that so many Americans are experiencing, because she has lived those struggles. She grew up in a military family and attended 13 different public schools. After graduating high school, she worked at a New Mexico bakery for 13 years then, at the age of 28, enrolled at the University of New Mexico, living paycheck-to-paycheck, relying on food stamps, and occasionally dealing with homelessness as a single mother. She owned a small company called Pueblo Salsa that she ultimately sold in 2005 to attend University of New Mexico Law School.
Congresswoman Haaland is ready to lead the Department of Interior. Through her many leadership roles in the House of Representatives, Haaland is the architect of a vision for how America can conserve at least 30 percent of America’s land and water by the end of the decade – a landmark commitment reflected in the Biden-Harris climate plan. With her experience helping lead the House Natural Resources Committee, Haaland is well-prepared to accelerate renewable energy production on America’s public lands and ocean, and to create jobs by restoring and protecting our parks and wildlife for future generations.
Nominating Congresswoman Deb Haaland would be a historic nomination and illustrate America’s commitment to righting the injustices of the past. Congresswoman Deb Haaland would be the first Native American Cabinet Secretary. This historic nomination reflects President-elect Biden’s determination to confront long-running injustices toward Indigenous peoples in America and to finally and fully uphold our country’s trust and treaty obligations to tribal nations.
Indigenous Futures Report for 2020
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Indigenous Futures Project (IFP) is a joint project between the Center for Native American Youth, IllumiNative, and the Native Organizers Alliance to gather and disseminate critical information and strategies about the priorities and needs of Native communities in preparation for the 2020 election. The keystone of this project is the Indigenous Futures Survey (IFS) — the first survey in Indian Country that provides an opportunity for all Native peoples to be a part of shaping our future, offering a platform for understanding critical issues impacting Indian Country that can be used to motivate change.
Indigenous Futures Survey Results
Native peoples have burst into the consciousness of many Americans over the course of the last year. From the organizing power against racist Native sports mascots, major victories against oil pipelines that undermine Tribal sovereignty, and the McGirt v. Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that affirmed Native lands, Native peoples have interrupted the dominant narrative of who we are in the 21st Century. The Indigenous Futures Survey (IFS) is the largest research project ever conducted in Indian Country with participation from over 6,400 Native peoples from across the country, representing 401 tribes and from all 50 states with a diverse and representative sample across age, gender and geography.
REPORT: From Protests to the Ballot Box, and Beyond: Building Indigenous Power
As we face the election of a lifetime, it’s imperative that Native peoples, perspectives, and issues are present in conversations about the future of this country. This report shows that Native peoples vote and are politically active and engaged in the democratic process in a variety of ways. However, many feel as though the voices of our community are not being heard and that our individual and community’s needs and priorities are not being addressed. Like many other communities, Indigenous peoples do not trust the US government and are worried about the direction of the country. Priorities for respondents include improving mental health, caring for tribal elders, and addressing violence against women, children, girls, and LGBTQ2S+ individuals. Learn more about the results of the survey by downloading the report below.
REPORT: The Impact of COVID-19 on Indigenous Peoples
One of the most pressing contemporary issues facing all communities of color, including Native peoples, is the COVID-19 pandemic. We have known that COVID-19 is exacerbating existing inequalities across the country—the Indigenous Futures Survey has revealed just how devastating the pandemic has been for Indigenous communities. The results of the survey revealed that Indigenous households earning less than $45,000 a year were hardest hit by the pandemic. In addition to negative health-related outcomes, they were more likely to report inadequate access to PPE and adverse impacts on financial situations, employment, and wellbeing compared to participants with higher household incomes. Individuals living in rural areas and those identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming are also reeling from the impact of the pandemic, reporting high rates of job loss, worsening financial circumstances and high levels of stress and depression. Learn more by downloading and reading the report.
2020 Indigenous Futures Survey
Until now, Native people have never been asked about what issues matter to us. The Indigenous Futures Survey centers Native voices and provides an opportunity for all Native peoples to be a part of shaping the future. Native Organizers Alliance has partnered with IllumiNative and Aspen Institute’s Center for Native American Youth to conduct the largest survey of Native people ever conducted.
The survey will explore the impact of Covid-19 on Native peoples, their families and community, issue priorities for the upcoming election, how racism and discrimination impact Native peoples’ lives and visions for the future of Indian Country. Take the 10-minute survey now and become eligible to win raffle prizes like Nike N7 shoes, beaded jewelry, original artwork, and gift cards to your favorite Native brands. Your voice matters.
To learn more about the Indigenous Futures Project, click here: http://indigenousfutures.illuminatives.org/
The results of the survey will help inform advocacy priorities for tribal leaders, policymakers, philanthropy as well as help to make visible the voices, needs, and issues of Native peoples to the media and American public in a critically important time in this country.
The 2020 Indigenous Futures Survey has been completed. Download the report today and watch for updates for the 2021 survey coming soon!
