Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland's Pueblo Indian roots predate the founding of the United States. Her ancestors were the original inhabitants of New Mexico and parts of the Southwest.
And like her family before her, she has achieved many firsts. In 2018, she became one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. A few years later, President Joe Biden nominated her to lead the Department of the Interior, making her the U.S.' first Native American cabinet secretary. Now, she's aiming to become the first Native American woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
Haaland has captured her journey to date in her new memoir, A Voice Like Mine. In it, she shares her path from working in a bakery to shaping policy. She was raised by parents who were civil servants — her dad was a Marine and her mom worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Despite her background, Haaland says deciding to run for public office was entirely her own initiative.
Haaland told Morning Edition that her mission in public service is to help empower people to know they can do many things, including run for office. "We have more of a voice than we've ever had, but the struggle is real," Haaland said. "That's why I'm saying we need more voices at the table. We need more voices at the decision-making table."
At the same time, Haaland says that in this 250th year since U.S. independence, she sees that the way Americans treat each other has "regressed." She says true citizenship requires a shared obligation to care for one another and protect the land.
In conversation with Morning Edition host A Martínez, Haaland discusses her book and how policy shifts from one administration to another can affect communities.
Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue button above.
This interview was produced by Adriana Gallardo and Ava Pukatch. The digital version was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.
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