Waiting for Haaland

In early 2021, 400 Years invited four library members to photograph a moment or two in their lives between February 23, the date of Deb Haaland's historic nomination hearing, and March 15, the day the senate confirmed Haaland (Pueblo ofLaguna) as the first U.S. Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American to serve as Cabinet secretary and the second to serve in the Cabinet.

Sharing some of her motives to take on the job, Haaland said, "It's difficult to not feel obligated to protect this land, and I feel every Indigenous person in this country understands that," adding, "We want to protect this country, and that means protecting it in every single way."

1. Brittany Bendabout.

2. Asa Cerda (Creek) skateboards.

Photos by Wes Cunningham (Choctaw) made in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 4, 2021.
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3, 4, 5, 6. Kristy Maney Herron sews the leggings and breechcloth for a set of traditional 18th-century Cherokee men’s clothing. EBCI tribal member Dylan Morgan models the finished set.

Photos by Kristy Maney Herron (Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians) made on the Qualla Boundary, North Carolina, on February 23, 2021.

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7. A man crosses the street downtown.

8. A fellow Native at Triangle Coffee pours a latte. We talked about our initiatives for building community with young, creative Native Americans in our community. We talked about Indigenous artists coming out of Tulsa that are making an impact in the art industry and how much we admire their work.

9. Solidarity.

10. A man serenading passersby. I talked with him for about 15 minutes, gave him a cash tip, and thanked him for making the gloomy, rainy day a little bit brighter.

Photos by Brittany Bendabout (Cherokee Nation) made in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on March 4, 2021.

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11. Professional beadworker Orianna Greenberg seen through the viewfinder of a Hasselblad.

12. Creator of podcast , Alice Glenn, seen through the viewfinder  Hasselblad

Photos by Brian Adams (Inuit) made in Anchorage, Alaska, on March 12 and March 1, 2021.