ACRA has called on the U.S. Senate in support of the nomination of U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM; image right) as the next Secretary of the Interior.

Then-President-elect Biden announced his nomination of Haaland, who would be the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet, in December. She currently serves in the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a letter to members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which will take the first step in Haaland’s confirmation, ACRA President Nathan Boyless said that Haaland’s “background and record make her uniquely qualified to lead” the Interior Department. He wrote:

As Vice Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources and Chair of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, Representative Haaland has been a champion for cultural resource management and giving the public a voice in protecting our shared national heritage. As a businesswoman and an advocate for the environment, Haaland understands the importance of balancing preservation with economic growth. As a member of the Laguna Pueblo, she will bring unique insight into the operation and management of that agency.

The Interior Department oversees the country’s natural resources, as well as federal historic and cultural resource programs. It also is the primary liaison between the federal government and tribal nations. In his letter, Boyless notes that “Haaland’s historic nomination will give a powerful voice at the highest levels of government to the millions of people whose ancestors first settled this continent.”

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee is expected to hold a confirmation hearing for Haaland later this month.

To read the full letter, click here.