Happy National Native American Heritage Month!

Guw’aadzi haupa, hello everyone, and Happy National Native American Heritage Month! 
 
I’m proud to join you all from the Ancestral Homelands of the Anacostan and Piscataway people, here in Washington, D.C., to kick off a month of celebration. 
 
This month we honor the gifts of our ancestors by celebrating Indigenous knowledge,
traditions, language, and culture. 
 
But at Interior we do that every day. 
 
We respect Indigenous knowledge in our work to fight climate change and Build Back Better than ever before. 
 
We’re committed to robust Tribal consultation and living up to our trust and treaty responsibilities. 
 
We center our work on the voices of Indigenous people as we address the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Crisis and take action to help people heal from the painful forced assimilation practices of the Indian Boarding Schools. 
 
All of our work is done with the leadership of President Biden and an all-of-government approach to ensure Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Island communities have a seat at the table.
 
As the first Native American cabinet secretary, I know that we have a lot of work to do,
but I also know that our ancestors are smiling down on us, giving us strength,
and are proud of what we’ve accomplished so far. 
 
Native American history IS American history, and it is only by recognizing that history that we can build a future that is equitable and inclusive. 
 
Happy Native American Heritage Month, everyone!