Friends of the Boundary Waters hosts Deb Haaland, 54th U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Haaland, the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, will speak on October 11, 2025 at the Minneapolis Event Centers as part of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Northwoods Gala.

During her tenure, Secretary Haaland championed some of the most significant conservation victories in decades. Her decision to implement a 20-year mining ban on 225,504 acres surrounding the Boundary Waters represents the most important protection for our beloved wilderness in over 45 years. By blocking dangerous copper-sulfide mining projects, she safeguarded the pristine waters that define America's most visited wilderness.