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Deb Haaland

Debra Anne Haaland (/ˈhɑːlənd/;[1] born December 2, 1960) is an American politician serving as the 54th United States Secretary of the Interior.[2] A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served as the U.S. representative for New Mexico's 1st congressional district from 2019 to 2021 and as chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party from 2015 to 2017. Haaland, a Native American, is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe.

Deb Haaland

Sam Bregman

Richard Ellenberg

Debra Anne Haaland

(1960-12-02) December 2, 1960
Winslow, Arizona, U.S.

American
Laguna Pueblo

Skip Sayre
(m. 2021)

1

Haaland's congressional district included most of Albuquerque and most of its suburbs. Along with Sharice Davids, she is one of the first two Native American women elected to the U.S. Congress. She is a political progressive who supports the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.[3][4]


On December 17, 2020, then-President-elect Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Haaland to serve as Secretary of the Interior. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 15, 2021, by a vote of 51–40.[5] Following her swearing-in on March 16, she became the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary and the second to serve in the Cabinet, after Republican former vice president and Kaw Nation citizen Charles Curtis.[6][7]

Early life and education[edit]

Haaland was born in Winslow, Arizona.[8][9] She is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo.[10] The Pueblo people have lived on the land that is now the state of New Mexico since the 1200s and Haaland identifies herself as a 35th-generation New Mexican.[11][12] Her mother, Mary Toya,[13] a Native American woman, served in the United States Navy and also worked in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.[14][15] Her father, Major John David "Dutch" Haaland, a Norwegian Minnesotan, was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and recipient of the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam; he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in 2005.[13][16][17]


As a child in a military family, Haaland moved frequently.[18] She attended 13 public schools across the United States before the family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be close to family who also belong to the Laguna Pueblo.[19] Haaland graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque in 1978.[18][19] She has two sisters, a brother, and two half-sisters.[13]


After high school, Haaland worked at a local bakery.[19][20] She struggled with alcoholism during this period, including two arrests for driving under the influence, but has been sober since enrolling in college in 1988.[15][20][21] She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of New Mexico in 1994.[22][23] Her professors included future United States Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, who published Haaland's poetry in a 1997 anthology.[24][25]


Four days after graduation, Haaland gave birth to her child, Somáh.[18] As a single mother, Haaland started a salsa company to support herself and her child.[26][27] At times during this period, she has said, she did not earn enough money to afford housing and had to rely on friends for shelter.[18] She says she also relied on food stamps at times.[26] Haaland earned her Juris Doctor in Indian law from the University of New Mexico School of Law in 2006, but narrowly failed the bar exam later that year.[22][28][20]

Early career[edit]

After law school, Haaland became a counselor for adults with developmental disabilities, then served as a tribal administrator and casino manager in San Felipe Pueblo.[22][20] She was the first woman to serve on the board of the Laguna Development Corporation, a Laguna-owned business created to strengthen the Laguna Community and its economy.[19][20] As chairwoman of the board, she oversaw business operations for the second-largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico[29] and successfully advocated for the corporation to create policies and commitments to earth-friendly business practices.[29]


Haaland was New Mexico's vote director for Native Americans in Barack Obama's 2012 presidential reelection campaign.[30] She was the chair of the Native American Caucus of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2012 to 2013.[11] She ran for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico in 2014.[14] Her ticket, headed by then-Attorney General of New Mexico Gary King, the Democratic nominee for Governor of New Mexico, lost to the Republican ticket of Governor Susana Martinez and Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez.[31][32]


Haaland was elected to a two-year term as the chair of the Democratic Party of New Mexico in April 2015.[33][34] During her tenure, New Mexico Democrats regained control of the New Mexico House of Representatives and the office of the New Mexico Secretary of State.[30][35] Haaland has been credited with rebuilding the state party after large defeats for Democrats in New Mexico in 2014.[36] She raised enough money during her two-year term as chair to pay off seven years' worth of debt incurred under previous chairs.[35]

Committee on Armed Services

[59]

Committee on Natural Resources

[60]

Committee on Oversight and Reform

[61]

Secretary of the Interior[edit]

Nomination and confirmation[edit]

On December 17, 2020, incoming President Joe Biden announced that he would nominate Haaland as Secretary of the Interior.[64] Before Biden nominated Haaland, many senior Democrats had voiced their support for her as Secretary of the Interior, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Senator Elizabeth Warren. Republican representatives Don Young and Tom Cole (a member of the Chickasaw Nation) also expressed their support for Haaland's nomination.[65][66][67]

Personal life[edit]

Haaland has a child, Somáh, whom she raised as a single mother.[30][87] On August 28, 2021, Haaland married her longtime partner, Skip Sayre, in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.[88][89] She was previously married in her twenties.[20]


Haaland is Catholic.[90] Her hobbies include marathon running and gourmet cooking.[22]


Haaland suffered a broken left fibula on July 17, 2022, while hiking in Shenandoah National Park.[91]

List of Native American politicians

List of Native Americans in the United States Congress

Women in the United States House of Representatives

List of secretaries of the interior