Portside

Not only will a Native American for the first time oversee the government’s relationship to Indigenous Americans, but an avowed environmental activist will manage the nation’s natural resources.

Overwhelming odds, unexpected alliances and tough losses — defeating Keystone XL built a bolder, savvier climate movement. From frontline battles to large national mobilizations, tar sands resistance developed new tactics and organizing strategies.

Epidemics have been part of colonialism since settlers arrived. And, in the case of Indigenous nations, the story of inequity is imbued with dispossession of lands and is met with organizing from the inside.

Reader Comments: Trump Pardons; Abolition, Prison Labor; COVID Relief; Space Wars; Georgia; Cultural Jobs Lost; Postal Workers; Native Treaty Rights; DSA’s Abstentionism; Labor’s Untold Story; Nurses; Workers’ Education; Resources; Announcements;...

On Dec. 17, President-elect Joe Biden announced Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) as his choice for Secretary of Interior, marking the first time a Native American will serve in the position, if confirmed by the Senate.

The Native American congresswoman from New Mexico has worked across the aisle and is backed by environmentalists.

Native People’s vote provided the margin for Biden in Wisconsin, Nevada, and Arizona. Thank you.

We need a person like Congresswoman Haaland to build a stronger relationship between the federal government and tribal nations. The Secretary of the Interior oversees the management and conservation of federal lands.

For many Native Americans, Thanksgiving is not a day of celebration — it’s considered a national day of mourning.