Tuesday, July 7, 2026

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Photo: Deb Haaland signs her new book, “A Voice Like Mine”, during a signing at the Sealaska Heritage Institute clan house Shuká Hít on June 28, 2026. (Mircea Brown / Sealaska Heritage Institute)

Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) came to Juneau last weekend as a stop on a tour of her new memoir, “A Voice Like Mine”, as KTOO’s Yvonne Krumrey reports.

Haaland was the first Indigenous person to be appointed a cabinet secretary.

The name of the book comes from a campaign slogan she used when she successfully ran for Congress in 2018, Haaland recounted. Her media consultant told her that Congress had never heard a voice like hers and the phrase “a voice like mine” felt apt to Haaland.

Haaland spoke to a crowd at the Sealaska Heritage Institute clan house.

“We’d never had a native woman in Congress. We had to wait 233 years to be represented in the US House of Representatives.”

Haaland is from New Mexico. Her memoir includes many recipes based on traditional Puebloan foods. Haaland said that food has always been a part of her political organizing work.

“When I started organizing in Indian Country, trying to get people registered and out to vote, I would ply them with green chili stew. Of bread, so they would come to our events, and then we’d all, you know, go early vote, or something like that.”

Haaland is currently running for Governor of New Mexico. She said she was inspired by Indigenous advocates who came before her and she hopes there are more to follow.

“This book I dedicated for those who have never given up, we can’t ever give up. You can’t get tired and say, ‘Oh my god, we’ve been fighting this for 10 years. I’m done. I’m just gonna, you know, do something. I’m gonna go watch TV. I don’t know.’ We can’t ever give up, because I don’t think our ancestors ever gave up.”

“A Voice Like Mine” came out in June and is now available at local bookstores.

(Courtesy Department of Finance Canada)

A group of First Nations in Ontario have signed a deal with the Canadian and Ontario governments to take part ownership in a new nuclear reactor project.

As Dan Karpenchuk reports, the chiefs involved called it a historic step forward.

The seven first nations are part of the Williams Treaties First Nations east of Toronto.

The federal government in Ottawa and the Ontario government are providing CA$700 million (about $492.4 million) in loan guarantees to the First Nations. That money will become equity for one of our small modular reactors under construction at the Darlington Nuclear project east of Toronto.

Chief Laurie Hockaday of the Alderville First Nation says the importance of this deal cannot be overstated.

“Economic reconciliation is not achieved simply by inviting First Nations to observe development. It is achieved when first nations have meaningful opportunities to participate, to invest, to lead, and to help shape the future of projects taking place within their territories.”

Darlington is the site for four small modular reactors, which are now under construction at a cost of about CA$21 billion (about $14.78 billion).

The first reactor is expected to be completed by 2030 and, when fully operational, the four will generate about 1,200 megawatts of power, enough for about 1.2 million homes.

Canadian Finance Minister Francois Philippe Champagne says the loan guarantee is among the first, and so far the largest, in the loan guarantee program with First Nations.

“When it comes to nation building projects, Indigenous people are partners and we want that today to be a blue print. And nations across our country are watching what we are achieving today because today’s a great example of us working together to achieve a common goal that generations will look back with pride.”

Ontario’s energy minister says the involvement of First Nations in the project marks an important milestone. And he adds that it is sensible for any government to build alliances and partnerships with First Nations.

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