Deb Haaland, United States Secretary of the Interior

Deb Haaland (b.1960) is the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary when was sworn in as the United States Secretary of the Interior. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.

On December 02, 1960, Haaland was born in New Mexico and is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna. In 1978, she graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque.  

In 1988 Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM), where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned her Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from UNM Law School. 

Deb Haaland managed a small business producing and canning Pueblo Salsa, served as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and was the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, which oversees business operations of the second largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico. She strongly supported the Laguna Development Corporation to establish policies dedicated to environmentally friendly business practices.  

She ran for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in 2014 and became the first Native American woman elected to lead a State Party. She is among the first Native American women to serve in Congress. She advocated for environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies as a congresswoman. 

President Joe Biden (b.1942) nominated Deb Haaland for the Interior Secretary position on December 17, 2020 following his election victory over then-President Donald Trump (b.1946). On March 18, 2021, Deb Haaland was sworn in as the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

by Anthony E. Thomas