Interior Secretary Deb Haaland Visits Mohegan Reservation, Meets with Tribal Leaders

The United States Interior Secretary Deb Haaland made her first official visit since being sworn in as Secretary and toured the historical sites at the Mohegan Reservation, including the Tantaquidgeon Museum which is America’s oldest native owned museum. Following this tour, Mohegan Chairman James Gessner Jr. released the following statement:

“This is an historic day for the Mohegan Tribe as our nation’s first Native American cabinet secretary visits our reservation. We are honored to work side by side with her on key issues that impact our Tribe.

"She has been a fierce advocate for tribal communities, and we’re pleased that she visited the morning after President Biden announced in his State of the Union that he was committed to investing in critical infrastructure in our communities. Her background and experience demonstrate her appreciation for how important it is for us to be stewards of our land and environment. Just as we value our historic partnerships with the State of Connecticut and local neighboring municipalities, our ongoing collaboration with the federal government and the Department of Interior is of the utmost importance to our tribal leadership and our members.”