Haaland's daughter
Rick Smith
Fox News
Friday, February 3, 2023 2:30pm EST
Interior secretary's daughter member of group that participated in violent protest at Interior headquarters
Connections between protesters and Interior officials could explain why the Biden admin would 'downplay' the protest, watchdog director says
By Thomas Catenacci | Fox News
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter belongs to a grassroots environmental group that participated in a violent protest at the Department of the Interior (DOI) headquarters in late 2021.
The top Biden official's daughter Somah Haaland is a media organizer for the New Mexico-based Pueblo Action Alliance which has repeatedly called on the federal government to take drastic measures halting oil and gas development on public lands. According to government watchdog Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT), members from the group attended the October 2021 protest which led to multiple injuries among DOI security personnel and at least one hospitalization.
"With the connections of members of DOI leadership to groups many consider on the radical fringes of the environmental movement, it’s not surprising the Department might consider such organizations to be their friends and attempt to downplay the potential for situations to get out of hand," said PPT Director Michael Chamberlain.
"But the circumstances around the riot at Interior headquarters represent yet another instance in which an administration that promised a return to normalcy is producing anything but," he added. "Meanwhile, the American public’s trust in its government continues its precipitous decline."
The violent protest at the Stewart Lee Udall building, the DOI headquarters, took place on Oct. 14, 2021, during a week in which climate activists had planned several rallies calling on the Biden administration to implement aggressive actions to combat global warming. During the protest, activists attempted to infiltrate the DOI building leading to several injuries among security personnel and one officer being transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.’’
In a statement following the violent protest, a DOI spokesperson downplayed the situation, saying the agency "believes strongly in respecting and upholding the right to free speech and peaceful protest" and would continue "to do everything we can to deescalate the situation while honoring first amendment rights."
While Interior officials also expressed shock at the protest, internal agency communications obtained this week by PPT showed that officials from the DOI, Department of Homeland Security, National Park Service and Metropolitan Police Department coordinated security efforts ahead of the protest which activists said would include "civil disobedience" measures.
For example, in one message, U.S. Park Police told DOI security officials that they should be "bit more vigilant" ahead of the protest.
And DOI Director of Intergovernmental and External Affairs Shantha Ready-Alonso met with protest leaders who gave her a flash drive one day before the protest. Ready-Alonso had been invited to attend a press conference outside the DOI building organized by environmental groups, but the event was canceled over security concerns, the internal communications showed.
Speakers from the Greater Chaco Coalition, a group that includes Somah Haaland's Pueblo Action Alliance, was one of the lead event organizers.
Meanwhile, in December, Somah Haaland was one of several activists to travel to Capitol Hill to lobby lawmakers to support a federal moratorium on oil and gas leasing near a Native American historical site in New Mexico. She and the other activists argued that drilling near the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico would cause irreparable damage to local communities and the environment.
However, her involvement in the lobbying push sparked concerns that there was a conflict of interest since her mother would have the final say in a decision on the moratorium. Activists have called for a moratorium halting drilling within 10 miles of the site while industry groups and locals have supported five-mile compromise.
"In our comments on the withdrawal, we pointed out the conflict of interest Secretary Haaland already has as a member of a Puebloan nation that is advocating for the 10-mile buffer," Kathleen Sgamma, the president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Fox News Digital in December. "Her daughter actively lobbying for the buffer highlights the conflict of interest and lack of discretion."
Sgamma added that it appeared "Secretary Haaland’s interests and kinship ties are clouding her ability to make a reasoned, balanced decision."
Somah Haaland and the DOI didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rick Smith
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Rick Smith
This smells of a right-wng effort to embarrass the Secretary when it suddenly becomes "news" months after the event. Yesterday Fox News, today the Daily Mail. LIke it or not, they've got it out in the public eye.
Daily Mail (London, UK)
Sunday, 5 February 2023 08:14 EST,
Interior secretary's daughter is a high-ranking member of the radical group responsible for a violent protest at their mom's department in DC that was 'reminiscent of January 6'
- In 2021, the group Pueblo Action Alliance held a violent protest in DC
- One of the group's leaders is Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter
- Somah Haaland, who is non-binary, is the PAA's media organizer
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's daughter is a high-ranking member of a radical environmentalist group that was responsible for a protest at the department in October 2021 that was referred to as being 'reminiscent of January 6.'
Somah Haaland, 28, who is non-binary, identifies as 'queer' and uses they/them pronouns, is listed as the media organizer of the Pueblo Action Alliance on the group's website.
In 2021, Haaland joined their group in protesting the Biden administration's environmental policies in Washington DC. The PAA has long called for the government to protect indigenous land against oil and gas drilling.
Their mother was named as the Secretary of the Interior in December 2020 and in doing so became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary.
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Somah Haaland, 28, who is non-binary, identifies as 'queer' and uses they/them pronouns, is listed as the media organizer of the Pueblo Action Alliance on the group's website
At the time of the protest, Haaland posted photos showing the protests on their Instagram page. They wrote in the caption: 'What an honor it was to march with my Pueblo kin last week for #Peoplevsfossilfuels week of action. Indigenous people are so powerful, especially when we join together and share our stories.'
Shortly after the protest, Haaland posted a statement on Instagram in which they sought to distance themselves from their mother.
They said in part: 'I have my own life and I am politically involved my own way that is separate from my mother. I have no influence or control over anything that she does.'
Haaland added: 'I have Major Depressive Disorder and am neuro divergent in other ways.'
Prior to the protest, Haaland's group said in a statement: 'We will no longer allow the U.S. government to separate us from our relationship to the sacred knowledge of Mother Earth and all who depend on her [...] We will not back down until our natural balance is restored.'
Secretary Haaland said in a Facebook post on her daughter's 25th birthday: 'I’m happy to have raised a compassionate human being, who was born to learn and love.'
In addition to their Native American heritage, Haaland is of Norwegian descent. They are a 2017 graduate of the University of New Mexico with a bachelor's degree in theatre arts.
Secretary Haaland has spoken openly about raising her daughter as a single mother, giving birth four days after her graduation, also from the University of New Mexico, in 1994.
According to their profile on PAA's website, Haaland is also a poet and artist. The bio says that they have also worked on several political campaigns since high school.
It says that Haaland 'passionate about empowering youth' and 'creating art as a form of resistance.'
Haaland wrote a 2019 article for Teen Vogue titled: 'How Museums and Historical Spaces Disrespect Native American History.' They wrote in the piece of having tea with Nancy Pelosi, taking a selfie with AOC and meeting actor Mark Ruffalo.
In 2021, they narrated the documentary Our Story: The Indigenous Led Fight to Protect Greater Chaco.
Haaland spoke about perceived racial disparity when it came to how little support Native American communities received during amid the pandemic during an interview with American Theatre.
They said: 'It ties into the whole privilege thing. People just assume that everyone in America lives the same way they do. And that’s just not true.'
During the same interview, Haaland spoke about their mother saying: 'From a very young age, she instilled in me a sense of wanting to do the right thing and make the world a better place. I get to watch her create this ripple effect of change throughout several communities.'
While in a separate interview with NBC News, Haaland complained of feeling 'isolated' thanks to being both Native American and 'queer.'
They also said that hate crimes involving LGBTQ people on reservations are rarely investigated.
Speaking about the scandal involving the protest with Fox News, Protect the Public's Trust Director Michael Chamberlain said: 'The circumstances around the riot at Interior headquarters represent yet another instance in which an administration that promised a return to normalcy is producing anything but.
'Meanwhile, the American public’s trust in its government continues its precipitous decline,' he added.
Following the protest at the Stewart Lee Udall Main Interior building, police arrested dozens of activists. Video from the event showed members of the group attempting to gain access for the offices. At least one officer was hospitalized.
In a statement at the time, Interior Department spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz said: 'Centering the voices of lawful protesters is and will continue to be an important foundation of our democracy. It is also our obligation to keep everyone safe. We will continue to do everything we can to de-escalate while honoring first amendment rights.'