It started to get real when the artwork was taken down from her office walls. The collection — all creations of Indigenous artists — had been handpicked by U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland over the last four years as she guided one of the nation's most expansive federal agencies.

Her service is marked by a focus on work in Indigenous communities and a search for balance between conservation and extraction on public lands.

Deb Haaland, the country's first indigenous cabinet secretary, used her term at the Interior Department to make what activists say is irreversible impact in recognizing the painful history of the gove

In the final days before she departs, Deb Haaland has found time to reflect on her journey from the back roads of New Mexico to a sprawling

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is serving out her final days in office. President Joe Biden made history by appointing her as the first Native American in a cabinet position. “The first couple days I got here,

In the process, Haaland, Laguna Pueblo, left an enduring legacy across Indian Country as a beacon of Indigenous leadership and a role model to many, addressing issues that included Indian boarding schools, missing and murdered people, land stewardship and conservation, climate change and sovereignty.