{"id":115425,"date":"2025-02-03T16:45:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-03T21:45:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=115425"},"modified":"2025-03-10T08:33:37","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T13:33:37","slug":"secretary-doug-burgum-takes-over-department-of-the-interior","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/02\/03\/secretary-doug-burgum-takes-over-department-of-the-interior\/","title":{"rendered":"Secretary Doug Burgum takes over Department of the Interior"},"content":{"rendered":" \"Doug<\/a>
Doug Burgum serves as the 55th Secretary of the Interior. Photo: Secretary Burgum<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n
Secretary Doug Burgum takes over Department of the Interior<\/div>\r\n
Monday, February 3, 2025<\/div>\r\n
Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n

<\/p>\r\nThe Department of the Interior<\/a>, the federal agency with the most trust and treaty responsibilities in Indian Country, officially has a new leader.\r\n

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

<\/p>\r\n\u201cIn 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.”\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“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.\r\n

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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTribal organizations unite in support of federal funding and nation-to-nation relationship\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t
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“Tribal Nations are not special interest groups\u2014they 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.<\/p>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

\n\t\t\"Native\t\tNative Vote\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nBurgum’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.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n“We call on the Trump Administration to ensure the United States\u2019 delivery on its trust and treaty obligations does not become collateral damage in the Trump Administration\u2019s 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<\/a> said in a letter to Burgum, the White House and key members of Congress on Sunday.\r\n

<\/p>\r\n“Federal Tribal programs are not racial or preference programs, and indeed these federal funds\r\nand programs are legally mandated under the trust and treaty obligations owed to us,” the letter stated<\/a>.\r\n

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