Auntie Deb’s Guide to Equity & Inclusion highlights what's possible when we recognize America’s full history Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page [ https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOI/bulletins/30f4613 ]. U.S. Department of the Interior Date: Thursday, March 17, 2022 Contact: Interior_Press@xxxxxxxxxxx Secretary Haaland Takes Equity and Inclusion to the Next Level at SXSW Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland attended SXSW yesterday where she outlined" Auntie Deb’s Guide to Equity & Inclusion. "Her remarks highlighted her philosophy about why representation matters, how to take it to the next level, and what can be possible when we recognize America’s full history and provide space for all voices to have a seat at the table. Putting her words into action, Secretary Haaland invited writer, transgender activist and military veteran Charlotte Clymer to share the stage for a Q&A session following her speech. Secretary Haaland's remarks follow a series of events and actions taken to underscore the Department’s prioritization of equity and inclusion across the federal government, including establishing [ https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-takes-action-foster-equity-and-inclusion-across-its-bureaus ] the first-ever Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Council; visiting [ https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/secretary-haaland-tours-significant-civil-rights-sites-mississippi-highlights ]historically significant sites that tell the stories of marginalized communities; and advancing [ https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-announces-next-steps-remove-sq-federal-lands ]efforts to remove derogatory names from our nation’s public lands and waters. "*Remarks as prepared for delivery are below:*" Hello, everyone! I’m Deb Haaland, and I am happy to be here with all of you. It’s great to be in Austin, Texas. I serve as the 54th Secretary of the Interior. I’m a proud member of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. I was raised a military kid. I raised an amazing child as a single mom. I’m a wife, a sister, an auntie, and a public servant. And... I’m not supposed to be here. What I mean by that is this country was built on principles and systems that were meant to either assimilate or exterminate people like me – to either make me blend into the background of America or get rid of me altogether. But, against all odds, I am still here. The reality — that I am standing here as a figure of success in spite of my history of tragedy and loss – is shared by many people in our country. We cannot deny that laws and policies in our not-too-distant past here in the United States were built on doctrines of enslavement, land grabbing, and discrimination. In fact, in many states today including right here in Texas, there are still efforts to strip people of their dignity, discriminate against them because of their identities, and marginalize them. Quite frankly, it’s disgusting. This is why I believe representation matters. And why I think every single one of us has a role to play in taking the power of that representation to the next level. Think about this: the United States Department of the Interior was once the federal agency tasked with the forced assimilation of Indigenous people. In fact, a leader in this country described that process as a way to, and I quote, “kill the Indian, save the man.” It’s not lost on me that I lead a department with that history, and that, now, Indigenous people everywhere have representation at the presidential cabinet level. Today, we are in the room, at the table, and on the world stage. But this should be the norm, right? Every person in this country deserves to see themselves in leadership. When I was growing up, there weren’t many women in elected office and even fewer Indigenous people. How was I to know that this was even possible? Lack of representation sends a powerful message. It tells young people that these spaces aren’t for them. It tells them that their lived experience isn’t relevant. Or maybe that they don’t deserve to have a chance to be at the decision-making table. I will add that many adults subscribe to that thinking too. During my first campaign when I ran for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico, no one asked me to run. No one recruited me. It’s likely because no one considered that an Indigenous woman could hold that seat or even put together a successful campaign, because they’d never seen it done before. And when our ticket lost, I’m sure there were a lot of people who thought I would never run again. When I decided to run for Congress, I did what most candidates do. I called around to close friends, family, and people who would give me their honest opinions. My close friends were ready to help. But folks across the country said, it couldn’t be done — that it would be impossible for a Native woman to raise enough money or win that type of election, especially given the fact that I was in a 6-way primary. Well, I’m here to tell everyone at this event, and everyone joining online, that not only can it be done, but that it must be done. Sometimes, we have to just take the plunge because no one’s gonna ask people like me to lead — or at least it was that way for a very long time. But even if we fail, we make it just a little bit easier for the next person from a marginalized community who makes the effort after us. Lack of representation hasn’t just meant that communities haven’t had a say in policies that impact their lives — which is awful enough. It also has tragic consequences that can be, as many of you know, life threatening. Last year, a national report found Black children ages 5 to 19 are five-and-a-half times more likely to drown than white children. According to the USA Swimming Foundation, about 70 percent of Black children and 60 percent of Latino children don’t know how to swim. And why don’t they know how to swim? It goes back to a history of exclusion:
