2021 seems like a possible change for indigenous people and what it would mean for them to be in the limelight, finally getting their voices heard. 

Congresswoman Deb Haaland from New Mexico was elected to Joe Biden’s cabinet. It was a historic moment, at least for indigenous people like myself. She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna and is in charge of overseeing the Department of Federal and Tribal Lands. 

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020 there are currently 6.79 million Native Americans in the United States, which is about 2.09 percent of the entire population. 

Mostly, Native American lands are trust lands which means that the federal government owns ownership, but the interest remains with a Native American individual or tribe. 

“Having a Native woman elected to Biden’s cabinet would mean everything for me. It would be someone to look up to seeing that we don’t have many Natives that make it,” said Shuman Green, a member of the Hopi tribe. 

Haaland in the past has supported a land buyback program in 2012 which followed a series of lawsuits by Native Americans that wanted restitution from the late 1800s and early 1900s. 

At one point this used to be all indigenous land and maybe it would not be such a radical idea if land was given back to indigenous people. 

“It is difficult to tell from the outside looking in whether a Native member of the cabinet would be included because the Biden administration cares for Native people and their communities or whether it is simply a diversity hire meant to fill out his promise of the most diverse cabinet in U.S. history,” said Michael Chaness “But at the most basic level appointing Deb Haaland would be an advancement over the last four years of the president of the United States talking more about Pocahontas than actual living Native communities.”

Haaland is said to bring more than diversity. She knows the struggle of living without running water and electricity like most Natives on reservations. She lived on food stamps and raised a daughter as a single mother. Her experiences drive her to create reform, promote clean energy and protect lands. 

The Biden-Harris plan for tribal nations include strengthening nation to nation relationships, providing reliable, affordable, quality health care and handling health disparities. The plan also includes restoring tribal lands, addressing climate change and keeping natural cultural resources. 

Having said that, Biden would need the help from an indigenous member to address those concerns. It would only be right, but yet again many politicians promise many things and so little actually proceed. 2021 is leading to many possible changes and for the future of indigenous people in the United States they are still very hopeful and resilient.

Photo from Flickr