Secretary Doug Burgum takes over Department of the Interior

Indianz.Com > News > Secretary Doug Burgum takes over Department of the Interior

Doug Burgum serves as the 55th Secretary of the Interior. Photo: Secretary Burgum

Monday, February 3, 2025

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The Department of the Interior, the federal agency with the most trust and treaty responsibilities in Indian Country, officially has a new leader.

Following confirmation by the U.S. Senate, Doug Burgum was sworn in as the 55th Secretary of the Interior on Friday afternoon. He issued his first statement through a news release on Monday, highlighting his most recent role as governor of North Dakota.

“In North Dakota, we share geography with five sovereign tribal nations,” Burgum said in the statement. “The current partnership is historically strong because we prioritized tribal engagement through mutual respect, open communication, collaboration, and a sincere willingness to listen.”

“At Interior, we will strengthen our commitment to enhancing the quality of life, promoting economic opportunities, and empowering our tribal partners through those principles,” said Burgum, who served eight years as the state governor.

Tribal organizations unite in support of federal funding and nation-to-nation relationship

“Tribal Nations are not special interest groups—they are sovereign governments with a unique legal and political relationship with the United States and with their own Tribal communities,” a letter to President Donald Trump and key members of Congress reads.

Native Vote

Burgum’s arrival comes at a pivotal time for Indian Country. The White House Office of Management and Budget, which is under the control of President Donald Trump, has issued a sweeping review of $3 trillion in federal funds — including key programs at Interior.

“We call on the Trump Administration to ensure the United States’ delivery on its trust and treaty obligations does not become collateral damage in the Trump Administration’s implementation of its other priorities, such as limiting diversity, equity, inclusivity, and accessibility (DEIA) and environmental justice (EJ) initiatives, and restricting the federal workforce,” a coalition of organizations representing nearly every federally recognized tribe said in a letter to Burgum, the White House and key members of Congress on Sunday.

“Federal Tribal programs are not racial or preference programs, and indeed these federal funds and programs are legally mandated under the trust and treaty obligations owed to us,” the letter stated.

Full Hearing: Hearing to Consider the Nomination of Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior

Burgum won bipartisan praise for his nomination. He has pledged to engage in consultation with tribal nations but he has not publicly stated whether he will seek Indian Country’s input on the federal programs that the White House is targeting at his own department.

The Interior programs include funding for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), which protect tribal ancestors, cultural property and sacred sites. Also included are grants for the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.

According to the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, grants for THPOs has been frozen as a result of Trump’s actions from the White House.

Indian Country still on high alert over President Trump’s freeze on federal funding

The new administration of President Donald Trump continues to send conflicting messages about a controversial freeze on federal funds, resulting in ongoing uncertainty for tribal nations.

Indianz.Com

In his news release on Monday, Burgum did not go into specifics for his Indian Country agenda. As Secretary, he will be overseeing the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which handles duties previously under the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians.

Trump announced Burgum as his Interior pick on November 15, 2024. A confirmation hearing took place before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 16, 2025.

The committee approved Burgum’s nomination by a bipartisan vote of 18 to 2 on January 23. On January 30, the Senate voted 79 to 18 to confirm Burgum. [PN11-3 — Douglas Burgum — Department of the Interior]

As Secretary, Burgum succeeds Deb Haaland, who made history as the first Native person to lead Interior. She also was the first Native person to serve in a presidential cabinet.

Today we begin a new journey together. The historic, purposeful and inspiring work of the Department of the Interior takes on new urgency and presents new opportunities for those who seek to create a future driven forward by innovation versus held back by regulation.

President… pic.twitter.com/YbjAFgpGXO
— Secretary Doug Burgum (@SecretaryBurgum) February 3, 2025

Welcome to the Department of the Interior, @SecretaryBurgum! pic.twitter.com/O6XTiTKHC5
— US Department of the Interior (@Interior) February 3, 2025

Grateful to @POTUS for the honor to serve as Secretary of the Interior. We look forward to delivering on President Trump’s vision for Energy Dominance — which is the foundation of American prosperity, affordability for American families, unrivaled national security, and world… pic.twitter.com/cDumSPrGVV
— Doug Burgum (@DougBurgum) February 1, 2025