The Grand Portage Band of Chippewa joined with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, the Leech Lake Band of Chippewa, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to oppose Rep. Pete Stauber’s attempts to subvert President Joe Biden’s effort to send Rep. Deb Haaland’s name to the senate for consideration for her to be named Secretary of the Department of Interior.
The five tribes all reside in Stauber’s district. All five chairs of the bands signed a letter saying, “This historic nomination is more important to us and all of Indian country than any other Cabinet nomination in recent history. Your opposition to the first and only American Indian ever nominated to a Cabinet position is likely to reverberate across Indian country.”
Rep. Stauber, R. Minn., is on the Congressional House subcommittee on Indigenous People. He has been lobbying fellow congressional members to join him in asking President Joe Biden to withdraw Haaland’s nomination, citing Haaland’s support for the Green New Deal and her opposition to drilling for oil and gas on public lands.
In his missive to House members, Stauber wrote, “Nominating Representative Haaland is a direct threat to working men and women and a rejection of responsible development of America’s natural resources.”
On Tuesday, January 26, Stauber sent the letter to President Joe Biden asking him to withdraw her nomination. In that letter Rep. Stauber said, “As a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Representative Haaland jumped at the opportunity to introduce the Green New Deal in the House, a plan to “completely transform” our economy that “goes farther than just calling for a ban on hydraulic fracturing.”
“The harmful effects of the Green New Deal are well-documented, but it includes eliminating air travel, responsible petroleum development, and the use of non-electric vehicles, costing each American family $65,000 and the United States $93 trillion annually.”
“Further, Representative Haaland’s Green New Deal sets unfathomable energy objectives thereby forcing energy-sensitive mines, paper mills, and manufacturers out of business. Simply put, the Green New Deal championed by Representative Haaland is an attempt at halting any industrial development, and millions of Americans will lose quality high-wage jobs in oil and gas, aviation, mining, logging, and other sectors. In fact, Representative Haaland has publicly stated her goal of stopping all oil and gas leasing on federal lands, which means killing an industry that provided more than $8 billion in revenue to the United States in 2019 alone.”
“Representative Haaland not only rejects America’s leadership as a net exporter of petroleum, but also has actively fought to oppose high-wage mining jobs.”
President Joe Biden tapped Haaland, an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe who was elected to Congress in 2018 because he said she shared his belief that the country has no time to waste to confront the climate crisis and “protect the air and drinking water and deliver justice to communities that have long shouldered the burdens of our environmental harms.”
The Midwest Alliance of Sovereign Tribes (MAST) is an intertribal organization representing 35 federally recognized tribes and four intertribal organizations in the States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Iowa, and they too, sent a scathing dispatch to Rep. Stauber.
“We are writing to voice our grave concern over your efforts to lead the campaign against Rep. Deb Haaland as Secretary of Interior, whom we very strongly support and have endorsed. Rep. Haaland as the first Native American who would serve on the President elect’s cabinet in the history of our country, and your demonizing of her in your letter as “a direct threat to working men” is not just offensive; it is hostile and irresponsible given the current state of crisis in our nation resulting from politicians vilifying one another…”
“Your role in leading the attack on Rep. Deb Haaland’s nomination as Secretary of Interior threatens the non-partisan spirit of Indian Affairs and is a direct affront to MAST and all of Indian country. This campaign you have undertaken has the potential to compromise your ability to effectively lead on the House Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples since you have subordinated the interests of Indian tribes of those you represent in your letter without consultation with the tribes. We are unaccustomed to any member of Congress serving in a leadership position on a committee with jurisdiction over Indian tribes taking such a public role in leading an attack that diametrically opposes the wishes of nearly all of Indian country. This is unprecedented.”
MAST further stated, “In your letter you authorized to the Transition Team, you refer to the interests of oil, gas, aviation, mining, and logging industries. You may be unaware that many Indian tribes also rely on these industries for economic development throughout the Dakotas, Oklahoma and the Pacific Northwest. Tribal support for Rep. Deb Haaland is not inconsistent with support for the industry. Further, you should be aware that as Interior Secretary, Rep. Haaland will be required to carry out the policy positions of President Biden versus her own positions. At a minimum, you might have requested a meeting with Rep. Haaland to speak with her about your concerns prior to launching a movement against her.”
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