Deb Haaland reflects on historic tenure as Interior secretary as she readies for next chapter

SANTA FE — In the final days before she departs, Deb Haaland has found time to reflect on her journey from the back roads of New Mexico to a sprawling office in the Stewart Udall Department of the Interior Building in Washington, D.C.

Haaland, a former congresswoman, made history in 2021 when President Joe Biden appointed her as the first Native American Cabinet secretary.

During her nearly four years at the helm of the U.S. Department of the Interior, Haaland has focused on expanding renewable energy projects on public land and shining light on historical wrongs committed by the government.

“When I first got here, I felt like, ‘What am I doing here?’” she said during an interview this week. “It was hard to believe I really had this opportunity.”

“It has given me a real opportunity to see so much of our beautiful country and appreciate it in a way that perhaps I never had before,” she added.

While Haaland faced pushback from skeptical Republican senators from day one due to her past support for green energy policies, she ended up approving new oil leases, including in parts of New Mexico.

But she also touted the federal agency’s efforts to cap orphaned oil wells and clean up abandoned mines, along with launching 59 new wind energy projects, including 11 offshore wind projects.

Haaland, a Laguna Pueblo member who grew up in a military family, said the opportunity to elevate Native American voices has also been a priority during her time as Interior secretary.

“I wanted to make sure that Indian Country was on equal footing with everything else we are charged with doing here,” she said.

Among other initiatives, Haaland cited the department’s efforts to remove derogatory names from more than 600 physical landmarks, such as changing the name of Squaw Peak in Sandoval County to Tamayameh Kah Sta Ma.

She also referred to an initiative to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding schools, which led Biden to issue a formal apology at the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona in October.

Haaland’s grandparents were both sent to St. Catherine’s Indian Boarding School in Santa Fe, and she has talked about the generational trauma of the boarding school policies.

“What we really wanted to do is shine a light on this horrific historical era of American history,” she said. “It’s really astounding how many people had no idea this actually happened in our country.”

‘Not my job to make everyone happy’

While Haaland has received accolades for some of her actions as Interior secretary, she has also faced criticism.

That includes an outcry over her 2023 decision to bar new oil and gas leasing in a 10-mile radius around Chaco Canyon from Navajo Nation residents who financially benefit from drilling royalties.

Navajo Nation protesters even blocked the road to the World Heritage Site, scuttling plans for an event celebrating the order.

In addition, a tribe in northern California filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior over its handling of a different tribe’s application to build an off-reservation casino.

Haaland acknowledged the difficulty — if not impossibility — of finding consensus on some issues that fall under the agency’s purview.

“It’s not my job to make everyone happy, right?” she said. “It’s my job to manage our public lands.”

On tribal gaming issues, Haaland said she’s largely deferred to Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Brian Newland.

“We follow the law, we follow our policies, we follow the rules and we do the work that is in front of us,” she added.

With her departure date approaching, Haaland said she has not spoken with Doug Burgum, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee as the next Interior secretary, but indicated she would be open to doing so.

“I would probably just let him know really what a wonderful opportunity any secretary of the Interior has,” she said.

Regis Pecos, a former governor of Cochiti Pueblo, said Haaland has faced pressure from tribal leaders to represent their interests at the highest levels of U.S. government, along with the pressure of being the only Native American in key closed-door meetings.

“I think she’s really done it in a respectful and dignified way,” said Pecos, who recalled Haaland taking time to meet with a group of visiting high school students from New Mexico.

“New Mexico should be profoundly proud that one of our own served in that capacity,” he added.

The next chapter

With Trump set to be sworn into office on Monday, Haaland said she’s looking forward to returning soon to New Mexico.

Her final weeks at the agency have been full of meetings and pep talks, along with an appearance on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show.”

“I’m dropping in to see some folks, whether virtually or in person, and just letting them know I’m going to be cheering for them from the sidelines,” she said.

Haaland did not say whether her future plans include a New Mexico gubernatorial campaign in 2026, though senior Democratic strategists have said she has been quietly making plans to run.

Whatever the future holds, Haaland said the journey from being a single mom in Albuquerque to a glass ceiling-breaking U.S. Cabinet secretary has not been hers alone.

“As a pueblo woman from New Mexico, I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors,” she said.

“It’s been the honor of my lifetime to bring that perspective and help us to accomplish the goals and stay true to the mission of the Department of the Interior,” said Haaland.