Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations. She was elected one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress and was the first Native American woman to lead a state political party in the country.

A member of the Pueblo of Laguna and 35th generation New Mexican, Secretary Haaland understands the struggles families in America face and often points to her experience as a single mom living paycheck-to-paycheck to advocate for everyday families. In Congress, she focused on environmental justice, climate change, veterans issues, missing and murdered indigenous women, supporting Tribal issues, and family-friendly policies.

She attended 13 public schools as a child raised in a military family before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque. At the age of 28, Secretary Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned her J.D. from UNM Law School. After law school, she ran her own salsa company, worked as a Tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and was appointed the first woman to chair the Laguna Development Corporation where she advocated for environmentally friendly policies and oversaw business operations of the second largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico.

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