- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
TAHOLAH, Wash. — Interior Secretary Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) visited the Quinault Indian Nation in Washington state on Monday.
While there, she and Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA) met with leaders of the Quileute Tribe, Hoh Tribe, Makah Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Skokomish Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, Chehalis Tribe and Puyallup Tribe.
Want more Native News? Get the free daily newsletter today.
Sec. Haaland discussed the Biden-Harris administration’ investments in tribal communities, including broadband internet and climate resilience projects.
Leaders of the Quinault Indian Nation invited Sec. Haaland to the Village of Tahaloh, which is being relocated to higher ground because the village faces the constant threat from storm surges and flooding. Taholah is located in northwestern Washington on the Pacific Ocean coast.
“As coastal communities face the increasing threat of rising seas, coastal erosion and storm surges, our focus must be on bolstering climate resilience,” Sec. Haaland said. “The investments discussed today are central to the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government approach to building more resilient communities and protecting the natural environment.”
National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) President Fawn Sharp serves as vice chair of the Quinault Indian Nation. Sharp and other Quinault Indian Nation leaders gave Sec. Haaland and Rep. Kilmer a tour.
“It is truly a historic moment for our tribes to know that the administration in Washington, D.C. cares enough about tribes to send their delegation here to talk with us and hear our concerns, to hear what matters to tribes. And that’s our people, our safety, our health, our environment, our homes,” Quinault Indian Nation President Guy Capoeman said. “Moving from the lower villages to up on the hill will protect our membership.”
Donate today so Native News is free for all readers.
Sec. Haaland said that the bipartisan infrastructure deal that is expected to pass the Senate early Tuesday would allocate resources to assist tribal communities threatened by climate change.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal includes a $466 million investment for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, including funds for transition and relocation assistance to support community-led transitions. The investments include:
- $216 million for Tribal climate resilience, adaptation and community relocation planning, design and implementation of projects which address the varying climate challenges facing Tribal communities across the country.
- $250 million for construction, repair, improvement and maintenance of irrigation and power systems, safety of dams, water sanitation and other facilities.
Sec. Haaland also highlighted federal investments to close the digital divide in Indian Country and ensure tribal communities have access to broadband so that they can better participate in today’s economy.
Earlier this year, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and Secretary Haaland announced the availability of nearly $1 billion in U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) grants to expand broadband access and adoption on tribal land.
A coalition of federal agencies are working together to address the digital divide in Indian Country. This year, the Interior Department and the Institute of Museum and Library Services are partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Service and the NTIA for the 2021 National Tribal Broadband Summit, taking place throughout the month of September as a virtual event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
More Stories Like This
Oak Ridge Fire On Navajo Nation Grows to 9,846 AcresOak Ridge Fire Burning on Navajo Nation Grows to 6,300 acres
Charles F. “Chuck” Sams III Joins Oregon Law as Inaugural Oregon Tribes Scholar-in-Residence
Interior Department Moves to Expand Oil and Gas Development in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve
Feds Release Final Environmental Impact Statement on Oak Flat Mine
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
