There are upwardof 600 Native American federally and state-recognized tribes around the United Statesand two dozen of them are made up of Pueblo enclaves scattered across New Mexico. Shebrings a perspective that is very unique and that only she can," said Horsford. [11] She ran for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in 2014. Fast forward since thenand the number of people who have heard of Haaland has grown exponentially. I think she made it more effective, to be honest," Thiele added. The Senate on Monday confirmed Ms Haaland as Interior Secretary by a vote of 51 to 40, making her the first Native cabinet secretary in US history. "Deb will have to deal with tribes who still need to be convinced that taking the billions of dollars from those companies for the rights to their land rights isnt worth it, said O.J. A voice like mine has never been a Cabinet secretary or at the head of the Department of the Interior, she tweeted after her nomination. She is likewise the previous seat of the New Mexico Leftist faction and an individual from the Laguna Pueblo clan. She genuinely cares so much and she would do absolutely anything for her community.. Haaland, 60, was confirmed Monday as President Joe Biden's Interior Secretary, making the former New Mexico congresswoman, who took office in 2019, not just the most powerful Native American. Haaland was volunteering for the presidential campaign of a senator named Barack Obama, and she wanted Warren to travel to the Laguna Pueblo, the Native American enclave Haaland hailed from, to speak to locals about the elections importance. She has been tipped to turn into the principal Local American Inside Secretary. Haaland's task will be a giant balancing act, often weighing her own passion for environmental issues with the financial realities of many stakeholders including some Native American tribeswhose incomes weigh heavily on energy exploration. hide caption. The single motherstruggledfinancially,bunking with friends when money ran short. ", Alicia Ortega, founder of Albuquerque-based advocacy group Native Women Lead, said simply,Its our ancestors' dreams come true.". "I was so excited to eat, Sanchez recalled. Haaland declined an interview with USA TODAY before her confirmation hearing, but conversations with nearly two dozen friends, peers and critics tell a fundamentally American story whose cinematic arc defiesthe elitist cliches that often shadow lawmakers. Arizona Capitol Times Your Inside Source for Arizona Government, Politics and Business Onecross-state trip started at 4 a.m., and by the time the pair stopped at a filling station in the town of Truth or Consequences, they were famished. Up to one-third of homes on Navajo and Hopi lack running water, and another third lack electricity even while our homelands provided the source of coal-fired power that built Phoenix and much of the West. The House Committee on Natural Resources The Arizona lawmaker is perhaps Haaland's most ardent supporter in Congress and appointed her chairwoman of the panel's National Parks, Forests and Public Lands subcommittee shortly after she came to Congress in 2019. Rep. Deb Haaland, who made history as one of the first Native American women elected to Congress in 2018, could soon shatter yet another glass ceiling. "You can cry identity politics, but try not being represented for over 200 years and all the sudden have somebody who looks like you," Haaland told the Washington Postafter her election while reflecting on the gravity of her win. Michael Connor, a deputy secretary of the Interior under Obama who is also of Native American ancestry, is reportedly another top contender. Some more Democratic math might work against Haaland. Interior Secretary Haaland Testifies on 2024 Budget - C-SPAN.org Theres tons of us shes inspired, shes awakened," said Abeyta, who is Navajo. That's just who she is. Before climbing the ladder in New Mexico politics, a teenage Haaland worked her way up atZinn's Bakery in Albuquerque. Although Haaland is proud of her father's Norwegian heritage The Norwegian Americantrumpeted her 2018 Congressional win with the headline "Norwegian American Deb Haaland makes history" her mother's Pueblo Indian roots are foundational to her identity and werereflected in the elaborate turquoise, black and red outfitHaaland wore for her swearing-in ceremony. Pool/Getty Images Stewarding Conservation and Powering Our Future, Toggle Dyslexia-friendly black-on-creme color scheme, Bureau of Safety & Environmental Enforcement, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation & Enforcement, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Insular & International Affairs, Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, Department of the Interior Releases Investigative Report, Outlines Next Steps in Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, Departmentof the Interior and National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition. Grijalva has publicly backed Haaland for the Interior job after privately ascertaining her interest. She is an American brought into the world in Arizona, moreover, she is a Local American according to her identity. He was handlingIndian affairs for New Mexico Gov. She has been the leader for the situation in the Biden bureau. Arizona Capitol Times provides 24/7 business news coverage and events honoring top business professionals. [27] She served as the chair of Democratic Party of New Mexico Native American Caucus from 2012 to 2013. Deb Haaland as interior secretary would be a huge win for Arizona The Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund has been on the front lines in the battle against COVID and our wounds cut deep. Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., is President Joe Biden's choice to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior. Haaland is the nation's first Native American Cabinet member. Id never heard of her.. In 2018, she ran against five Democrats in the state's 1st Congressional District, which is 68% white. Shes one of those who is willing to listen to people, to work across the aisle, Frankel added. The Interior Department manages half a billion acres of land across the country and parts of its waters. This will require someone who can successfully work across the aisle, and Ms. Haaland has a proven track record of this. Months ago, just before the start of a hearingof the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford, a Democrat from Nevada and first vice-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was talking with Haaland, who chairs the panel, about the portraits of the past chairman that lined the walls. Day saidNative activists across the nation will be energized like never before byHaaland's position asInterior secretary. ", Haaland's dedicated work across New Mexico did not go unnoticed. Dozens of members of Congress, including progressive "Squad" members like Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and more moderate Democrats like Rep. Jim Costa of California, have also signed a letter to Biden supporting Haaland for the job. ", "That struck me. As secretary of interior, she will understand that, in Indian country, it is not about building back better; it is about conducting the initial build of the capital infrastructure that the rest of this country has long enjoyed but has never existed in our homelands. She is a former attorney general for the Navajo Nation. When Warren arrived, he found potluck food and 20 people. Haaland apologized forthe lowturnout. "She knows what needs to be done internally and externally in terms of rallying people on the side of conservation and climate change," Rep. Ral Grijalva, the Democratic chairman of the House National Resources Committee, told Insider. Katie Hobbs and Democratic U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego. It was there where her signature trifecta of tribal issues, environmental advocacy, and knack for compromise began to take shape. They spoke Friday at a school in the Gila Indian River Community just south of Phoenix before a large audience that included Gov. Overseeing Interior would place her in charge of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education, the agencies most involved in Native American issues and the ones that are most at loggerheads with tribes. Documentary film works to preserve the legacy of Arizonan Stewart Udall, Native Americans share trauma of Arizona boarding schools, VP Harris touts Arizona-California power transmission line, Tribal leaders welcome return of White House summit, administration pledges, New US plan could lead to federal action on Colorado River, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. There are unique development challenges in the Indigenous territories that make up more than a quarter of our state. This week, President Biden's nominee for secretary of the Interior, New Mexico congresswoman Deb Haaland, is up for confirmation in the Senate. The Promise and Pressures of Deb Haaland, the First Native American She aggressively canvassed the state's tribal communities for Barack Obama in 2012, knocking on doors and encouraging them to register and vote. In 2012, she helped Obama win re-election as the state's vote director for Native Americans, and then served as Native caucus chair for the state Democratic party. Her Wiki page is being refreshed yet you can find out about her in this article. Secretary Haaland ran her own small business producing and canning Pueblo Salsa, served as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and became the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, overseeing business operations of the second largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico. Rep. Deb Haaland to be Biden's pick for secretary of the Interior. For the first time in six years, leaders of federally recognized tribes from across the country gathered in Washington to meet with Biden administration officials in a gathering one Oklahoma leader called extremely powerful.. She is likewise the previous seat of the New Mexico Leftist faction and an individual from the Laguna Pueblo clan. She opposed many Trump environmental rollbacks on public lands and considers climate change "the challenge of. Its profound to think about the history of this countrys policies to exterminate Native Americans and the resilience of our ancestors that gave me a place here today.. Native activist Warren, who stayed in touch with Haaland after their meeting at the Laguna Pueblo, remembers asking her why she had decided to run for a state leadership post. In 2014, Democratslost control of the New Mexico House of Representativesfor the first time in 60 years. Ms. Haaland offers the hope of a secretary of interior who will look at us and see our basic humanity and our urgent human needs. Debra Anne Haaland, known as Deb, was born December 2, 1960, in Winslow, Arizona. The survival of my people in the face of COVID-19, and our successful rebuilding post-COVID, depends upon it. Deb Haaland has a daughter with name Somh Haaland who she raised on her own. "Indian country has been left behind for decades.". In a few Instagram posts last fall under the name CoffeeQueer, daughter Somh shared photos of her mother washing the family dogs ahead of Election Day. On top of all this she somehow finds time to do things like cook dinner and bake cakes and gives the pups a trim. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. COVID-19 threatens our very existence, and Ms. Haaland understands this in a way no other secretary of interior could. Interior Department an agency whose responsibilities stretch from managing energy development to meeting the nation's treaty obligations to 574 federally recognized tribes. Legislature on track for longest session ever, Arizona to create workforce accelerators to train residents in rur[], Pharmacists will be able to dispense birth control to women without prescription[], Treasurers office wont release funds to Prescott Frontier Days unt[], Senate GOP halts nominee hearings in response to abortion order, The Pinal County Public Works Department has launched a public awareness campaign to inform resident[], The city of Prescott and the neighboring town of Yarnell are expected to honor the fallen Granite Mo[], Competing interests have ignited a tug of war between Superior, a town of about 3,000 people who wan[], The elections director of Pinal County has resigned after less than a year in the job, saying county[], Crews have successfully dug a containment line around a brush fire in northern Scottsdale that has b[], Using chainsaws, heavy machinery and controlled burns, the Biden administration is trying to turn th[], Population growth is nothing new in booming Arizona, but that growth usually comes with moving truck[], Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis promised to end birthright citizenship, finish buildi[], Former lawmaker, former congressional candidate, party chair vie for LD2 seat, New law raises cap on funds for infrastructure projects benefitting manufacturer[], Hobbs vetoes bill to regulate renewable energy, House censures Democrat who hid Capitol Bibles, House refuses to require individual income tax rates to be cut during surplus. Deb Haaland: Senate confirms Biden's Interior secretary nominee in Indian countrylacks basic infrastructure, AZ International Auto Show & New Car Buyer's Guide 2020 Model Year, Navajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Haaland's passion for the state and its deep Native history was always on display. The party's majority in the House has shrunk after unexpected Republican gains in the November elections. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland: Biden Cabinet member makes history She has been the leader for the situation in the Biden bureau. Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative - U.S. Department of the Interior It reflects an extensive and first-ever inventory of federally operated schools, including profiles and maps. It wont undo the heartbreak and loss we feel. Subscribe today for access to even more opinions. Deb Haaland: America's first Native cabinet secretary - BBC Four days after graduating college at age 33, shegave birth to her only child, daughter Somh, who is now an activist in her own right supporting Native and LGBTQ causes. Shes not in it for the fame or the glory," said New Mexico Gov. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Haaland looked at Warren and said simply, "Why not? Biden's team had also offered New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham the Interior slot, which she declined, Politicoreported. For Indigenous peoples and nations, she is essential to our survival. In June 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past. Ethel Billie Branch is interim executive director of theNavajo & Hopi Families COVID-19 Relief Fund. The read more Report Video Issue 0 seconds of 1. Family Background Haaland is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna tribe. She is now athird-year law student at the University of Arizona and president of the National Native American Law School Students Association. Haaland credited tribal leaders around the country for starting the push. Politicians who have worked with her since her early days in New Mexico politics attributed Haaland's "meteoric" rise to her ability to compromise while still sticking to her beliefs, and centering tribal communities and the environment at the heart of her politics. Native American boarding school survivors of abuse and their descendants shared memories and tears in Arizona on U.S. In 2019 she introduced the most bills with bipartisan cosponsors of any House freshman. She told me, You can run for office, too, So I did, said Abeyta, who went on to wina school board seat. Haaland supported the bipartisan Great American Outdoor Act, which among other things provided money for the Land and Water Conservation Fund and funds maintenance backlog at national parks. Its not on her to do it alone, but she will be able to lead it., Elizabeth Day, community engagement project manager at the Native American Community Development Institute in Minneapolis, said Haalands reputation across Indian country is one of great respect, even more so now that shes going into the heart of the beast.. And, before the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, the young Haaland was working as a production assistant on a . Now thatsame political savvy she used to mobilizeNative voters in 2008 for a victorious Obama has helpedher once again makehistory. Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., President Biden's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She became one of the first Native American women ever elected to Congress, along with Sharice Davids, a Democrat from Kansas. Agency officials must juggle the often-competing needs of conservation with the exploration of the country's natural resources. 2023 BridgeTower Media. A combination of a duty to serve and a dedication to her people quickly came to define Haaland's life. The matrilineal tribe has been in what is now New. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Rep. Deb Haaland, D-N.M., President Biden's nominee for Secretary of the Interior, testifies at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. While children attended federal boarding schools, many endured physical and emotional abuse and, in some cases, died. "You know, they showed up in 2020, and they feel like they've waited a long time, and would like to see a Native American in the Interior," the congresswoman said. South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn, the House majority whip making history as the highest-ranking African American in Congress, pushed Biden to nominate Haaland, arguing for the historical importance of having a Native American at Interior. Ms. Haaland understands why Indian country has been so hard-hit by COVID-19: the longstanding lack of investment in the critical capital infrastructure that serves as the necessary foundation for any thriving economy and society. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In June 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies with the goal of addressing their intergenerational impact and to shed light on the traumas of the past. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Haaland, 60,wasconfirmed Monday as President Joe Biden's Interior Secretary, making the former New Mexico congresswoman, who took office in 2019,not justthe most powerful Native American politicianin the nation's history, but also the first one to run a department whose centuries of broken promises and benign neglect has contributed to the slow erosionof Indigenous culture. It is also about stopping the use of Indian country as a national sacrifice area. He said it didn't work out. On Capitol Hill, Haalandbecame known as someone who wouldnot be ignored. These cookies do not store any personal information. Haaland senses the magnitude of the moment. Deb Haaland is a pioneer and political agent for New Mexicos first locale. Deb Haaland - Early Life, Pueblo of Laguna & Secretary of the Interior Prior to Haaland's arrival, New Mexico Democrats had had a rough go of it. She said her name was Deb Haaland, Warren recalled. What does Haaland's nomination mean for the future of the Department of the Interior? Haaland replied immediately. She'd be the first Native American to hold the job. For the good of Indian country and rural America, I pray Ms. Haaland is swiftly confirmed. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Lots of names are floating around for Joe Biden's Interior secretary, but in recent weeks, one has risen above the din. Haaland lost her bid for lieutenant governor, but instead of retreating she successfully set her sights on leading the state's Democratic Party. "History is a very powerful force," Grijalva said. She and her family all live in New Mexico, indeed, she is a 35th era, New Mexican. "I pushed through college, and law school as a single mom, and I'm 30 years sober," she said ina 2018 campaign ad. Use of this website is subject to its Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy | Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy. In her interview with Insider, Haaland said that if appointed as Interior secretary, she would work to shore up thetribal consultation process, which requires the government to involve tribal governments in its decision-making processes when considering matters that impact tribal communities. Senate confirms Deb Haaland as Biden's Interior secretary in historic vote By Clare Foran and Ted Barrett, CNN Updated 6:51 PM EDT, Mon March 15, 2021 Link Copied! In 2014,Haaland decided to run for New Mexico lieutenant governor alongside gubernatorial hopeful and state Attorney General Gary King. Ms. Haalands confirmation will be good for Arizonans. It was time to break that ceiling," he said. She also was co-sponsor of the bipartisan Not Invisible Act of 2019, which aimed to reduce violent crime on Native American lands and against Native Americans. Early in Tom Perez's tenure as DNC chair, Haaland pushed him to bring more Native Americans into the party so they would have enough members to form a caucus, Rion Ramirez, now the Native American caucus chair told Insider. She would also oversee more than 480 million acres of public lands and nearly a dozen federal agencies, including the National Park Service. Truth be told, she is one of the initial two Local American ladies chose into the House. Dozens of members of Congress have vocally taken up the cause. Deb Haaland | Arizona Capitol Times and "Dutch,"was a 30-year Marine who was awarded the Silver Star for saving six lives in Vietnam. Deb Haaland is the House agent from New Mexico's first region. Vice President Kamala Harris and two cabinet secretaries on Thursday celebrated the start of construction of a new high-capacity power transmission line between Arizona and California, which they hope will lead to future solar energy farms in the desert outside Phoenix. She won. For five years, Haaland successfully pushed her colleagues to adopt changes such as eco-friendly LED lights in their casinos, recycling programs, and electric vehicles for the security team. She is one of us, who deeply understands our history and struggles. "There's entirely not enough renewable energy projects and too many extractive industry projects on our public lands," she said. As gas filled the tank, Haaland stocked up on Cheez-Its and Chex Mix. I always repeat this, we need more than a seat at the table, we need to create the menu, she said. The student, Paulene Abeyta, asked how she could help. Judith LeBlanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance, a national political organizing group, said Haalands big tasks will include helping Native Americans deal with the disproportionate COVID-19 virus sickening and killing people of color, who are three times more likely to die than white Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After volunteering for Obama's first campaign by getting out the Native vote, she landed top jobs at both the Laguna and San Felipe Pueblos, where she oversaw tribal gaming and implemented environmentally friendly business practices such as recycling. There are dozens of environmental and energy issues that could land on Haaland's plate if she's chosen for Interior. We were left vulnerable to COVID-19 by the extractive legacy that precipitated overcrowding by replacing our homes with strip mines, impaired our aquifers and reduced our water access, and imposed asthma,cancerand other underlying conditions upon us. Politicos who campaigned alongside her in later years regaled Insider with stories of the cakes and pastries she'd whip up to fuel them for long days on the trail. Looking for the other side of the story? "Im excited about the fact that she will now be over the very agency that can make those kinds of advances. "I think what she was best known for was shaking up Democratic politics in New Mexico," said Raina Thiele, a former Obama White House staffer who came to know Haaland through her work with the state party. She is important for a push by President-elect Joe Biden to assemble a different bureau. A sprawling grassroots coalition of tribal leaders, lawmakers, progressives, a handful of Republicans, andeven a Marvel superherohas sprung up to urge Biden to choose the New Mexico Democrat as Interior secretary. Things moved quickly from there on in. The Biden transition team declined to comment on any potential nomination for Haaland, though Politicoreportedthat they're vetting her. At the age of 28, Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where she earned a Bachelor's degree in English and later earned her J.D. Deb Haaland is the first Native American to serve as the United States Secretary of the Interior, appointed by Joe Biden in 2021. Hermother, Mary Toya, was in the Navy and worked as a federal employee in Indian education, while her father, John David, also known as J.D. Swift measures to control COVID-19 will lend stability to us all. Haaland was born in Arizona 60 years ago, but her military family relocated multiple times before eventually landing in Albuquerque. Many Native Americans were marched at gunpoint by federal troops off their land and onto reservations that held no historical meaning. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Native American hopes already are soaring. US Interior Secretary Haaland reflects on tenure and tradition amid When asked whether she supported Biden's proposed drilling ban, Haaland said she'd emphasize the need to invest in renewable energy "because I think that industry can create jobs" while at the same time helping to combat climate change. But de Graaf worries that Udall, an Interior secretary widely recognized as the modern father of conservation, is being forgotten, a slight that he hopes to reverse with a recently released documentary.