The Mohegan Tribe calls the nomination of Native American Deb Haaland to lead the federal Department of the Interior, “historic.” The Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico answered questions Tuesday at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. If confirmed, she’d be the first Native American to hold the position, and also the first to be appointed to the cabinet. Mohegan officials said the appointment is a gleam of hope for Indigenous People and their inclusion in the federal government. In addition, the Connecticut tribe believes she brings a unique perspective to the role as a single parent who has lived paycheck-to-paycheck.
Camila Vallejo is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. She is a bilingual reporter based out of Fairfield County and welcomes all story ideas at cvallejo@ctpublic.org.