As Donald Trump’s presidency comes to an end, a new American political era is beginning to unfold. This nation hasn’t given minorities fair representation for a long time, but we will now see many new representatives on the county, state, and federal level who identify as minorities. One of these new faces is Debra (Deb) Haaland, a Native American woman who has been nominated by president-elect Joe Biden to serve as the Secretary of Interior for his cabinet. The appointment, if successful, will mark the first time that a person of Native American descent serves as a cabinet member in U.S History. Since the founding of the United States, Native Americans have been discriminated against, forced off their land, and had most of their rights stripped away by settlers hungry for a piece of Western land. Deb Haaland, if confirmed by the Senate, will serve as a symbol of success for many Native Americans.
Born in Winslow, Arizona in 1960, Debra Haaland had the odds stacked against her from the beginning. As her father and mother were both enlisted in the military, Haaland moved many times, going to 13 different public schools before her family settled down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Haaland identifies as a 35th generation New Mexican and is part of the Laguna Pueblo nation, a nation that has lived in the heart of New Mexico for many generations. At 28 years old, Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. Almost immediately after her graduation, Haaland gave birth to a daughter. As a single mother, Haaland often lacked the resources to provide for her and her daughter’s needs, and often lived with friends and relied on food stamps. She enrolled at the University of New Mexico’s Law School and graduated with a Juris Doctor in Indian Law in 2006.
Haaland’s life changed when she became the first chairwoman of the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, a business that created opportunities for the Laguna people, and also oversaw business operations for the second largest tribal casino in New Mexico. In 2012, she served as New Mexico’s vote director for Native Americans in then-President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign. A year later, Haaland was elected the chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s Native American caucus. A year after completing the caucus, in 2014, Haaland ran for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico under then-Attorney General of New Mexico Gary King’s ticket. Unfortunately, King lost the Governor race to Republican nominee Susana Martinez in 2014. In April 2015, Haaland was elected chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico for two years. Deb is credited with completely rebuilding the New Mexico Democratic Party. Her work eventually resulted in the election of a Democratic Secretary of State, and a Democratic majority in the State House of Representatives.
After her tenure as the chair of the Democratic Party ended, Haaland ran for the House of Representatives in New Mexico’s first congressional district in the 2018 elections. She, along with every other Democrat running for a statewide or federal office on the ballot that year, won against her Republican opponent. After serving two years in the House, Haaland ran again, and this time, she defeated Michelle Garcia Holmes in the 2020 elections.
On December 17, 2020, president-elect Joe Biden nominated Debra Haaland for Secretary of the Interior. With humble beginnings as a single mother relying on food stamps who lacked a permanent home, Debra Haaland’s story is truly inspiring for all minorities across the United States and proves that no matter where one starts from, there is always a way to succeed.
