- Details
- By Jenna Kunze
Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland arrived in Alaska Apr. 19 for her first official visit to the state since taking office.
On the first day of the week-long trip, Haaland met with Alaska Native leaders and local stakeholders in Anchorage to discuss the more than $138 million available to the state through the federal infrastructure law enacted last November, the Interior Department said. That money, the department added, includes $75 million for Alaskan communities to clean up “orphaned” oil and gas wells, with more funds to clear up a landslide in Denali National Park, reduce the risk of wildfires, revitalize abandoned mine lands, enhance fish migration, protect communities from flooding, and build climate resilience in tribal communities.
Alaska has the highest percentage of Indigenous people of any U.S. state, and almost 40% of the nation’s 574 federally recognized tribes are located there.
A spokesperson for the Interior Department could not confirm Haaland’s schedule for the week, but she is expected to visit Fairbanks, Seward, and Utqiagvik on the Arctic coast, a town of 5,000 people that is the hub of the North Slope region.
“Her goal is to come and listen and learn. It is not to announce policy,” Haaland’s communications director, Melissa Schwartz, told the Anchorage Daily News. “It is truly to have listening sessions and roundtable conversations and hear from people about the issues that are important to them.”
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (August 4, 2024): D.C. Briefs
'More Than Just Food' | Tocabe Indigenous Marketplace Offers Native Ingredients, Meal Kits for Every Table
Navajo Nation Agriculture Dept. Warns Farmers and Ranchers to Disregard Communications from CKP Insurance
Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Forwards Patrice Kunesh's Nomination to Chair The National Indian Gaming Commission to Senate for a Vote
Support Independent Indigenous Journalism That Holds Power to Account
With the election now decided, Native News Online is recommitting to our core mission: rigorous oversight of federal Indian policy and its impact on tribal communities.
The previous Trump administration’s record on Indian Country — from the reduction of sacred sites to aggressive energy development on tribal lands — demands heightened vigilance as we enter this new term. Our Indigenous-centered newsroom will provide unflinching coverage of policies affecting tribal sovereignty, sacred site protection, MMIR issues, water rights, Indian health, and economic sovereignty.
This critical watchdog journalism requires resources. Your support, in any amount, helps maintain our independent, Native-serving news coverage. Every contribution helps keep our news free for all of our relatives. Please donate today to ensure Native News Online can thrive and deliver impactful, independent journalism.
