‘Your voices are the ones that must be front and center’: Interior Secretary Haaland speaks at AFN

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Inside the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, Alaska Native stories are being shared during the 2024 Alaska Federation of Natives Convention. On Friday, the Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland played a part in that conversation as she addressed the gathered crowd.

“The agenda we set is built with the priorities of Alaska Native communities front and center,” Haaland said during her speech. “I am so honored to share this space with you and to see the fruits of our historic work.”

A large portion of Haaland’s speech addressed the $5.3 billion the Biden administration has allocated to various Alaska projects, including:

• $7.5 million for the National Fish Passage program
• $135 million for community relocation efforts
• $38 million for high-priority oil and gas wells
• $9 million for wildfire reduction and prevention activities

Haaland said projects like the National Fish Passage Program came from ideas she was expressed to by Alaska Natives.

“They came from many of you right here in this room, and that’s why they have staying power,” Haaland said.

Participants who attended Haaland’s speech shared with Alaska’s News Source that her presentation made them feel heard.

“It’s very important, especially to the villages, you know, in the rural communities because we have a hard time being heard. I hope she is a strong voice for us,” attendee Priscilla Evans said. “I felt like it was promising and exciting that’s just gonna be brilliant stuff to the to Alaska.”

Others said they believe that more visits from leaders in the Lower 48 and representation in D.C. help share the stories and the needs of the Alaska Native community.

“The more we can get things to pass to have our rights respected,” attendee Ariadne Schablein said. “I think it’s really powerful to have her come back to Alaska not only one time, but three times.”

Schablein said she hopes Haaland will take with her the stories she heard during her three-day trip to Alaska.

“I’m hoping that she’s able to speak with other villages, other towns and bring like, all the struggles that we’re all having, like sovereignty,” Schablein said.

Haaland will continue her trip over the weekend. She will be in Anchorage on Sunday to participate in an event for The Road of Healing, which is a year-long nationwide tour about the Federal Indian boarding school system.