Deb Haaland

Image by Michael S.Anaya-Gorman|Albuquerque Journal

Deb Haaland

We are moving into another month and continuing our tradition of #matriarchmonday where we profile an important femme who is doing the important work of disruption, representation, healing and more. We are circling around Deb Halaand who is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, has Jemez Pueblo heritage, and is from the area known as New Mexico. Deb has been leading in the political space for some time and carrying her Indigenous ways and values into the House of Representatives.

Deb has shown her commitment to our lands and our people as she is currently going through the confirmation process to become the first Indigenous cabinet member as Secretary of Interior. In Deb's words from her confirmation hearing: ...if confirmed, I would be the first Native American to serve as cabinet secretary. This historic nature of my confirmation is not lost on me, but I will say it’s not about me. Rather, I hope this nomination would be an inspiration for ["Americans"] moving forward together as one nation and creating opportunities for all of us. As the daughter of a Pueblo woman, I was taught to value hard work. My mother is a Navy veteran, was a civil servant at the Bureau of Indian Education for 25 years, and she raised four kids as a military wife. My dad, the grandson of immigrants, was a 30-year career Marine who served in Vietnam. He received the Silver Star and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery. I spent summers in Mesita, our small village on Laguna Pueblo, the location of my grandparents’ traditional home. It was there that I learned about my culture from my grandmother, by watching her cook and by participating in traditional feast days and ceremonies. It was in the corn fields with my grandfather where I learned the importance of water and protecting our resources where I gained a deep respect for the earth.

ACTION STILL NEEDED: You can still support #DebfForInterior by calling your Senators or the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources at (202) 224-4971 to tell them you support Deb. You can also sign this petition bit.ly/Deb4Interior (link in bio).

Image from Joshua Roberts / Reuters file