She had been one of the first Native American women in the United States Congress.

She is now the first to take up the post of minister.

New Mexico parliamentarian Deb Haaland received the green light from the US Senate on Monday, March 15, to enter Joe Biden's cabinet.

At 60, she was confirmed by 51 votes to 40 as Minister of the Interior, a vast department which mainly manages the natural resources of immense federal lands (about a fifth of the country's surface), but also Native American reservations.

Deb Haaland is from the Laguna Pueblo tribe of New Mexico.

She had already made history by becoming in 2018 one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress.

Upon the announcement of her appointment, the new minister reacted on Twitter: "Thank you to the US Senate for the confirmation vote today [Monday, Editor's note]. I look forward to working with you all as Minister of Interior ".

Thank you to the US Senate for your confirmation vote today.

As Secretary of @Interior, I look forward to collaborating with all of you.

I am ready to serve.

#BeFierce

- Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) March 15, 2021

"Deb Haaland's confirmation represents a giant leap towards the composition of a government that reflects all the richness and diversity of this country, as Native Americans have been neglected for far too long," the Democratic majority leader told the Senate, Chuck Schumer, before the vote.

In charge of natural resources and Amerindian reserves

"By placing Deb Haaland as head of the Home Office, we are resetting the counters in the relationship between the federal government and indigenous nations to regain cooperation, mutual respect and trust," he said. added. 

Her candidacy was supported by a petition from some 120 tribal representatives urging Joe Biden to "make history" by choosing her.

"I think it is time for our world, not just our country but the whole world, to start listening to indigenous peoples when it comes to climate change and the environment," said the elected when her name was starting to circulate for this post.

"My ancestors made incredible sacrifices to allow me to keep my customs and traditions. I will not fail them," she assured in 2018, during a meeting with AFP.

She was soon after elected to the House of Representatives, where she had sat since January 2019. 

A single mother, she overcame alcoholism in her youth and had to resort to government food stamps for a while.

Before Deb Haaland, only one other Native American was a member of an American government: Charles Curtis, vice-president of Herbert Hoover between 1929 and 1933, liked to recall that he was "an eighth Kaw Indian and 100% Republican".

With AFP

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