US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Visits Aotearoa New Zealand to Highlight International Cooperation on Climate Change and Indigenous Communities

US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland's visit to Aotearoa New Zealand underscores the importance of international cooperation on addressing climate change and honoring Indigenous communities. The visit came as the country continues to recover from the devastating impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle, highlighting the critical need for collaboration in the face of a changing climate. Haaland met with key government leaders, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta, and visited the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum, which implements a repatriation program for ancestral remains of Māori and Moriori people.

Key Takeaways:

• The US Department of the Interior has worked with counterparts in New Zealand for over 70 years on issues such as wildland fire response, natural hazard monitoring, wildlife conservation, and responsible energy development.
• Secretary Haaland participated in a meeting with the Labour Māori Caucus and a visit to the 9/11 memorial, as well as a powhiri – a Māori welcoming ceremony involving whaikairero (formal speech), waiata (singing) and kai (food).
• The delegation visited the Zealandia Urban Eco-Sanctuary, which is working to restore one of Wellington's valley forests and freshwater ecosystems and connect communities to their unique natural heritage.
• The Interior Department's U.S. Geological Survey has collaborated with Massey University's Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR) for 23 years on emergency-management research focused on understanding and managing the risk from earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis.
• The visit highlighted the impact of Indigenous Knowledge and collaborative conservation across the Pacific region in helping countries prepare, manage, and recover from intensifying drought, wildfires, flooding, and other extreme weather events.

Statistics:

• 70 plus years: The US Department of the Interior has worked with counterparts in New Zealand on various issues.
• 23 years: The Interior Department's U.S. Geological Survey and JCDR have collaborated on emergency-management research.
• 500 acres: The size of the Zealandia Urban Eco-Sanctuary.
• 18 species: The number of species reintroduced into the area by the ecosanctuary, some of which had been absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.

Sources:

• U.S. Department of the Interior
• Te Papa Tongarewa Museum
• Massey University's Joint Centre for Disaster Research (JCDR)