Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland
Name	Deb Haaland
Birth date	1960-12-02
Birth place	Laguna Pueblo, New Mexico, U.S.
Alma mater	University of New Mexico, University of New Mexico School of Law
Office	54th United States Secretary of the Interior
Term start	2021-03-16
Predecessor	David Bernhardt
State rep	New Mexico's 1st congressional district
Term start1	2019
Term end1	2021
Party	Democratic Party

Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland is an American politician and member of the Pueblo of Laguna who has served as the 54th United States Secretary of the Interior. She previously represented New Mexico's 1st congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives and was a lieutenant governor candidate in New Mexico. Haaland's tenure emphasizes tribal sovereignty, land conservation, renewable energy, and federal-tribal relations.

Early life and education

Haaland was born in the Laguna Pueblo near Cochiti Lake, New Mexico. She is an enrolled member of the Pueblo people and was raised within the cultural traditions of the Pueblo of Laguna and influenced by the histories of the Navajo Nation and Apache people. Her early life was shaped by interactions with institutions such as Bureau of Indian Affairs-era schools and local chapters of the Indian Health Service network. Haaland attended public schools in Albuquerque, New Mexico, later earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Mexico and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Mexico School of Law. During her education she engaged with legal clinics connected to the American Civil Liberties Union, National Congress of American Indians, and regional legal aid societies.

Early career and advocacy

Haaland worked in advocacy with organizations including the Native American Rights Fund, Intertribal Council, and community nonprofits affiliated with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. She served on the board of the Santa Fe Indian School and worked with labor groups such as the Service Employees International Union and campaign organizations aligned with the Democratic Party. Haaland's advocacy intersected with national movements including the Standing Rock protests, conservation efforts with the Sierra Club, and tribal consultations informed by precedents like the Carcieri v. Salazar decision. She also collaborated with education initiatives linked to the Bureau of Indian Education and public health programs at clinics partnering with the Indian Health Service.

U.S. House of Representatives

Haaland was elected to represent New Mexico's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in 2018, succeeding Michelle Lujan Grisham who ran for Governor of New Mexico. In Congress she served on committees with jurisdiction over the Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and caucuses including the Congressional Native American Caucus and Progressive Caucus. Haaland sponsored and co-sponsored legislation interacting with statutes such as the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and engaged in oversight related to agencies including the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service. Her congressional work involved collaboration or debate with figures like Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ben Ray Luján, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz on issues ranging from tribal policy to public lands.

Secretary of the Interior

Nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the United States Senate, Haaland became Secretary of the Interior in 2021, succeeding David Bernhardt. As Secretary she leads the United States Department of the Interior, overseeing agencies such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Her appointment marked a historic precedent alongside other cabinet selections including Ketanji Brown Jackson on the federal judiciary and Xavier Becerra at the Department of Health and Human Services. Haaland has worked within executive actions coordinated with Executive Office of the President initiatives, national environmental policy frameworks like the Paris Agreement commitments, and federal land management reforms reflecting earlier statutes such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Antiquities Act.

Political positions and policy initiatives

Haaland has advanced policies promoting tribal sovereignty, co-management of public lands with entities like the Navajo Nation and Pueblo of Acoma, and restoration of tribal homelands pursuant to trust doctrines anchored in cases like United States v. Kagama. She prioritized removal of certain Indian relics and worked on renaming landscapes formerly titled under figures associated with the Spanish conquest and Colonial America, coordinating with the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. On climate and energy, Haaland supported renewable projects interoperable with the Department of Energy initiatives and cross-agency collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency to implement greenhouse gas reductions aligned with the Clean Air Act. She has navigated controversy over oil and gas leasing on public lands, balancing regulatory reform with litigation involving parties such as Chevron Corporation and conservation groups including The Nature Conservancy and Audubon Society. Haaland advanced funding and programs related to the Native American Housing Assistance and Self Determination Act and participated in interagency consultations with the Department of Justice on tribal criminal jurisdiction and the Violence Against Women Act reauthorizations affecting tribal authority.

Personal life and honors

Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo and has roots in communities across New Mexico including Santo Domingo Pueblo and Albuquerque. She has received honors and recognitions from organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund, National Congress of American Indians, and environmental groups including the League of Conservation Voters. Haaland's public profile has been noted in media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, PBS, and The Guardian. Her career intersects with a network of leaders and institutions including Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Senator Tom Udall, Senator Martin Heinrich, and tribal leaders across the Southwest United States.

Category:Living people Category:1960 births Category:United States Secretaries of the Interior Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Mexico Category:Laguna Pueblo people