- Details
- By Kaili Berg
On December 10, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) joined Comedy Central's The Daily Show for an impactful conversation with Michael Kosta.
As the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior, Haaland used the platform to discuss her department’s responsibilities, the United States’ complex history with Native communities, and her personal philosophy on leadership and healing.
Kosta began by addressing the department’s vast scope, often humorously dubbed the "Department of Everything Else."
“At the Department of the Interior, we manage millions and millions of acres of public lands under the National Park Service, wildlife refuges, and the Bureau of Land Management,” Haaland said in the interview. “We protect and preserve our nation's cultural heritage, and we uphold the trust and treaty obligations of our country's 574 federally recognized Indian tribes.”
One of the most impactful moments of the segment was Haaland’s discussion of the U.S. government's history with Indian boarding schools.
She acknowledged the department's dark role in assimilating Native children through forced removals, hair cutting, and the prohibition of cultural practices. These schools caused immense generational trauma, leaving scars that persist in Native communities today.
“The department that I now lead once had the job of working to assimilate Indians,” Haaland said. “One of the ways they did that was to essentially steal children from their families and ship them off, sometimes thousands of miles away, to attend boarding schools. There, they were punished for speaking their languages, had their hair cut, and were forced to abandon their cultures.”
Under her leadership, the department has taken significant steps to address this legacy. The Road to Healing initiative, which Haaland spearheaded, has brought survivors and their descendants together to share their stories. These testimonials are being compiled into an oral history project, ensuring this chapter in history is neither forgotten nor repeated.
“Our team read 103 million pages of documents to create two comprehensive reports. Then we traveled across the country, meeting with descendants and survivors of boarding schools. Their stories will eventually be part of an oral history project, so no one ever forgets this history,” said Haaland.
President Biden’s formal apology for these atrocities, delivered on Native land, marked another historic moment in this effort toward reconciliation.
“It’s about ensuring people don’t ever forget,” Haaland stated. “When you learn the history, you don’t forget it.”
Haaland shared insights into her leadership philosophy, which emphasizes vulnerability, collaboration, and kindness. Leading a department of 65,000 federal employees, she credited the dedication of her team, highlighting the importance of public service in advancing the department’s mission.
“It’s about showing people what you’re working for, not what you’re working against. Being humble and vulnerable is key, admitting that you’re not the end-all, be-all and appreciating the people around you,” Haaland said.
In her final months as Secretary, Haaland remains focused on laying the groundwork for a smooth transition, ensuring continuity of the department’s critical work regardless of administrative changes. Her efforts to manage the department’s responsibilities while focusing on Native rights have set a new standard for leadership.
“It’s about showing people what you’re working for, not what you’re working against. Being humble and vulnerable is key, admitting that you’re not the end-all, be-all and appreciating the people around you,” Haaland said.
As a 35th-generation Laguna Pueblo, she traced her lineage back to Chaco Canyon, sharing how her ancestors’ migration shapes her identity. Her commitment to tradition extends to her master’s thesis, which explores Native foodways and their resilience through modern adaptations.
“My ancestors migrated from Chaco Canyon and other areas in the Southwest to what is now New Mexico around 1280. That lineage shapes who I am and why this work is so important to me,” Haaland said.
In the interview she also revealed her adventurous spirit, recounting her participation in a grueling 34-mile desert race at Canyon de Chelly and her decision to hike down a mountain with a broken leg rather than disrupt her team’s duties.
“All I thought about was the headlines: ‘Secretary Haaland takes staff away from their jobs to carry her down the mountain.’ So I decided to walk,” said Haaland.
As her tenure draws to a close, Haaland remains focused on ensuring a seamless transition and preserving the initiatives she has accomplished. From the Road to Healing to her efforts to protect public lands and promote Native sovereignty, her work has left a mark on the Department of the Interior.
Haaland closed the segment by highlighting a gift she presented to President Biden at the Tribal Nations Summit: a monogrammed blanket that read, “Joe Biden, Champion for Indian Country, 2021–2024.”
“Blankets are a way for Native Americans to show care and appreciation. It was a small gesture, but it meant a lot,” Haaland said.
Create your own user feedback survey
More Stories Like This
"Your'e No Indian" Examines the Disenrollment IssueAgua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians to Open New Exhibition: Section 14 – The Untold Story
Actor Jonathan Joss, Voice of John Redcorn, Killed in Texas Shooting
Celebrate Summer and Father’s Day at the Chickasaw Cultural Center – June 14
After 30 Years, Berkeley's Turtle Island Monument Foundation Will Be Built
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher
