At Alcatraz Island, Haaland highlights Indigenous progress

SAN FRANCISCO — U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland on Saturday said progress has been made by Indigenous people during a visit to Alcatraz Island, which became a symbol of the struggles of Native People for self-determination following its takeover in the 1960s, but more remains to be done. But more than that, our Indigenous identities were restored.” Haaland, who is from Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and the first Native American to lead a Cabinet agency, said that thanks to the actions of those activists, Native Americans no longer have to resort to extreme measures to be heard. Biden ordered several Cabinet departments to work together to combat human trafficking and crime on Native American lands and announced permanent protections for Bears Ears National Monument, which is sacred to Native Americans. But these actions alone won’t solve the challenges faced by Native people and lots remains to be done, including building schools and infrastructure and addressing pollution and the effects of climate change on Native American communities, Haaland said.