Trailblazer Haaland speaks on tribal healing at OKC's Sovereignty Symposium

The nation's former Secretary of the Interior made a stop on Friday in Oklahoma City to address Native American tribal leaders. Deb Haaland was the first Native American appointed to a Presidential cabinet and led the way in bringing awareness to the harm Indian boarding schools left on communities.

Oklahoma City leads the way in gathering tribes for the annual Sovereignty Symposium held this week. Organizers said it was only fitting to bring a history-making leader to the podium.

“The deep commitment and compassion of everyone in this room is crucial to sustaining the future of tribal nations,” said Hon. Deb Haaland, Former U.S. Sect. of the Interior.

Haaland addressed a large crowd attending this year’s Sovereignty Symposium. Haaland became the first Native American in history to serve as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Haaland launched the "Road to Healing" tour in 2021, visiting federal Indian boarding schools and speaking to survivors. While in office, Haaland released an investigative report about the hundreds of boarding schools across the country, including in Oklahoma.

Haaland spoke to Oklahoma City’s Mayor David Holt about her work in shedding light on a dark time in U.S. history.

“We had a U.S. President who apologized to Indian County openly and with full heart for the past era of that horrible history that we have,” said Haaland.

Haaland was speaking about the apology President Biden issued in 2024. She also touched on how the current administration is cutting funds to the tribal initiatives she supported during her time in office.

While speaking to Haaland about her run for New Mexico Governor, Mayor Holt made a jab at Governor Kevin Stitt for being "hostile" towards tribal sovereignty in Oklahoma.