meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Daily 202's Big Idea

Biden putting a Native American in charge of Interior is a milestone moment in U.S. history

The Daily 202's Big Idea

The Washington Post

Politics, News, Daily News

4.61.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 December 2020

⏱️ 14 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Plus, states report confusion as the federal government reduces their vaccine shipments, and investigators discover evidence of previously unknown Russian tactics used to penetrate US networks.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Good morning. I'm James Helmin from the Washington Post and this is the

0:06.1

daily 202 for Friday, December 18th. In today's news, states report confusion as the federal government reduces their vaccine shipments.

0:17.0

Investigators discover evidence of previously unknown Russian tactics used to penetrate US networks.

0:24.0

And White House AIDS talk President Trump out of a last minute demand for $2,000 stimulus checks.

0:30.0

But first, the big idea.

0:35.0

President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Deb Holland, a Democratic Congresswoman from New Mexico, and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna Tribe

0:46.4

to serve as the first ever Native American Cabinet Secretary and head the Interior Department.

0:53.0

This is a historic pick that really marks a turning point for the U.S. government's

0:57.5

fraught relationship with the nation's indigenous peoples.

1:01.0

Since its formation 171 years ago, the Interior Department is more often than

1:06.2

not, egregiously mistreated the 574 federally recognized tribes.

1:13.0

This appointment is profoundly meaningful for the 1.9 million Native Americans whose

1:19.2

education, health care, and so much more are still shaped indelibly by the department's decision-making.

1:26.0

Three divisions of Interior have a massive impact on Indian country, including the Bureau of Indian Affairs,

1:32.0

the Bureau of Indian Education, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education,

1:34.4

and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration, which manages billions of dollars that belong to the

1:39.5

tribes.

1:41.1

The 60-year-old Holland was born in Arizona to a Native American mother who served in the Navy

1:46.8

and a Norwegian American father who was an active duty Marine.

1:51.0

Holland bounced between 13 public schools as her family changed bases.

1:56.0

At 15, she worked at a bakery.

1:59.0

Later, she attended law school with the help of student loans and food stamps. She occasionally experienced

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Washington Post, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Washington Post and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.