December 17, 2020
MESA, ARIZONA – The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development praised the reported nomination of Representative Deb Haaland (D-NM) to lead the Department of Interior. If confirmed, Rep. Haaland will be the first Native American to become a federal Cabinet secretary. Last year, the National Center interviewed Rep. Haaland in her Washington, DC office. She was also the National Center’s 2020 Tim Wapato Public Advocate of the Year and lead House sponsor the Native American Business Incubators Program Act, now signed into law.
The National Center issued the below statement on Rep. Haaland’s reported nomination.
“Representative Deb Haaland is a fantastic choice to lead the Department of Interior and the many agencies it oversees. If confirmed, Rep. Haaland will bring a unique perspective and tireless leadership to a Department that plays a vital role in Indian Country, including its economy. Her experience as an advocate, small business owner, Native leader, and Member of Congress will be a positive for Interior’s 70,000 employees and the millions of Americans who benefit from the services the Department provides.
“Though it took far too long for a Native American to lead a federal Cabinet-level agency, Rep. Haaland is a more than worthy ‘first.’ We commend President-elect Biden for keeping to his commitment to assemble a candidate that ‘looks like America.’ Now, his Cabinet will include a representative of the first Americans. We know Representative – and soon Secretary – Haaland will do a tremendous job as the 54th Secretary of the Department of Interior.”
About the National Center: The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With over 50 years of assisting American Indian Tribes and their enterprises with business and economic development – The National Center has evolved into the largest national Indian specific business organization in the nation serving over 500 clients and providing over $4 million in contracts to its clients. The National Center has nine offices throughout the nation with its home office located in Mesa, Arizona. The National Center is actively engaged in helping Tribal Nations and Native business people realize their business goals and are dedicated to putting the whole of Indian Country to work to better the lives of American Indian people – both now…and for generations to come.
