Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joins Joe Williams to discuss her historic role as the first Native American cabinet secretary and the significance of her position for Indigenous communities across the United States. Raised in a military family and deeply connected to her Pueblo heritage, Haaland shares her journey from organizing voter registration efforts to holding a key leadership role in the federal government. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on the influences that shaped her career, including trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm and the importance of community voices in politics. Haaland emphasizes the need for hard work and dedication to ensure that Indigenous rights and treaty obligations are upheld. The episode also touches on personal stories and cultural connections, including a delightful discussion about the secret to making great salsa, highlighting the rich culinary traditions of New Mexico.

Secretary Deb Haaland made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.

Secretary Haaland grew up in a military family; her father was a 30-year combat Marine who was awarded the Silver Star Medal for saving six lives in Vietnam, and her mother is a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As a military child, she attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque.

As a single mother, Secretary Haaland volunteered at her child's pre-school to afford early childhood education. Like many parents, she had to rely on food stamps at times as a single parent, lived paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled to put herself through college. At the age of 28, 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. Secretary Haaland and her child, who also graduated from the University of New Mexico, are still paying off student loans.

Secretary Haaland ran her own small business producing and canning Pueblo Salsa, served as a tribal administrator at San Felipe Pueblo, and became the first woman elected to the Laguna Development Corporation Board of Directors, overseeing business operations of the second largest tribal gaming enterprise in New Mexico. She successfully advocated for the Laguna Development Corporation to create policies and commitments to environmentally friendly business practices.

Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations.

After running for New Mexico Lieutenant Governor in 2014, Secretary Haaland became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a State Party. She is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress. In Congress, she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies.

A powerful dialogue unfolds as Joe Williams welcomes Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to his podcast, which highlights the voices and stories of Indigenous creators and leaders. The conversation shines a spotlight on Haaland's groundbreaking role as the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, a significant milestone for Indigenous representation in government. Williams and Haaland delve into her personal journey, exploring her upbringing in a military family, the influences of her Pueblo culture, and the legacy of Native leaders who came before her, including champions of voting rights and treaty responsibilities.

Haaland shares the deep connection she feels to her roots, crediting her grandmother and mother for instilling a sense of pride in her heritage. The discussion transitions into the vital work she is doing at the Department of the Interior, emphasizing the importance of upholding the trust and treaty obligations owed to Native tribes. Haaland’s commitment to environmental justice, advocacy for missing and murdered Indigenous women, and family-friendly policies reflects her dedication to addressing the pressing issues facing Indigenous communities today.

In a lighter yet poignant moment, the conversation touches on a personal favorite topic of Haaland – making great salsa. She emphasizes the significance of using local New Mexico chili, underscoring how food connects us to culture and community. This episode is not just an interview; it is a rich exploration of identity, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward justice for Indigenous peoples in America.

Takeaways:

• Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized the importance of listening to elders for invaluable knowledge.
• Her career journey highlights the significance of hard work and community engagement in politics.
• Haaland's historical appointment reflects a broader acknowledgment of Indigenous rights in the U.S.
• She draws inspiration from past leaders who fought for Indigenous treaty rights and justice.
• Haaland's experiences demonstrate that personal history shapes one’s commitment to public service.
• Her advice for the youth is to cherish family wisdom and cultural heritage.

Hello and welcome again to another episode of five plain questions, a podcast that proposes five questions to indigenous artists, creators, musicians, writers, movers and shakers, and culture bears people in the community that are doing great things for their communities. I'm Joe Williams, your host for this conversation. I'm director of the indigenous art programs at the Plains Art Museum.

My goal is to showcase these amazing people in our indigenous communities from around the region and country. I want to introduce you to Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland.

Secretary Holland made history when she became the first native American to serve as cabinet secretary. She's a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a 35th generation New Mexican.

Secretary Holland grew up in a military family, her father, a 30 year combat marine who was awarded the Silver Star for saving six lives in Vietnam, and her mother as a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years in the Bureau of Indian affairs. As a military child, she attended 13 public schools schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque.

Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Holland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations.

In Congress, she is focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing murdered indigenous women, and family friendly policies. This is an understatement to say that. I'm excited to be able to share this conversation with you.

When we talk about the list of categories that we have for the show, I think mover and shaker is sort of the definition under Secretary Holland. So with that said, let's jump to the conversation with Secretary of the interior Deb Haaland.

Madam secretary, thank you so much for joining us on five plain questions. Such an honor to have you here.

Of course, I'm happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me.

Can you introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about where you're from, your background, and what it is that you do.

My background? Well, I am a very proud member of the pueblo of Laguna.

I was raised as a Pueblo woman by my mother and my grandmother and the women on my maternal side of the family.

And so I'm an enrolled member at Laguna, and I am honored to serve our country at the pleasure of the president of the United States as the United States secretary of the interior. And that, you know, we have a mission at the interior.

It's to manage and conserve all of our public lands and our cultural resources for the american people. As well as to uphold the trust and treaty obligations of our nation's indian tribes.

And the fact that you are appointed to that position is the historical importance is not lost on so many of us. So thank you for serving in this position.

As I said, it's an honor and a privilege for me.

So can you talk about your influences, your influences early on and what is influencing and who is influencing you today?

Right. So, you know, a while back, I mean, of course, I.

You know, part of the reason I'm so honored to do this work and that we, you know, we take it seriously and we all work hard is that, for one thing, that the part about us, you know, our department, upholding the trust and treaty responsibilities of our country's indian tribes. I mean, I. You know, my pueblo, my family, all of us, we have. We have lived by the decisions of the federal government for generations, right?

I mean, the federal indian boarding school policies, all the assimilation policies, those were all federally driven policies that affected my people for generations and generations.

And so when I think about the folks who have had a voice in those decisions, you know, and I think right away, Billy Frank junior comes to mind, right, a man in the Pacific Northwest who was vocal and stood up for his people and. And really, you know, drove home the idea that treaty responsibilities are. They never expire, right? Our treaties never expire.

The federal government has to live by the promises that it made.

So when I think about the work that I do, I stand on the shoulders of so many of our native american leaders who really worked hard to hold the federal government's feet to the fire when it came to the decisions that they made. And so I know that I didn't just come on the scene and start making decisions.

I feel like I stand on the shoulders of all of those people who have worked hard for so many generations to make sure that our treaty rights are intact, to make sure that our people can vote. Miguel Trujillo, an isleta Pueblo World War Two Marine corps veteran, came home from the war and couldn't vote in New Mexico.

And so he sued the state of New Mexico so that native people in New Mexico could vote. So those are the people who inspire me, the folks who really use their voice for the people who didn't have a voice.

And so I'm grateful that I've had opportunities to take their influences and move those issues forward. And, I mean, I can't say that my influences have changed that much. Right.

So I feel like without Shirley Chisholm, you know, maybe there wouldn't have been a Deb Holland or Charisse Davids getting elected to Congress. And so, you know, we are. We are all in this together. We all owe a debt to the people who came before us.

And so I'll do my best to live up to that debt.

I think that's such a great point. You know, so often as young people, it's hard for us to find stories and examples in the media that look like us.

I'm a Wapeituwan Dakota from the Sisseton Wapato no Yate. And, you know, part of the inspiration of doing this podcast is to share stories like your own to inspire younger people.

So I wanted to talk to you a little bit about your career. Kind of boiling down. The question, how did you get here? You know, you. You are. You went to law school. You were in school before that.

What brought you to this place?

Thank you for that question. And, you know, I get it. I get, people ask me all the time, you know, did you.

Did you dream about being, you know, a cabinet secretary when you were younger? And I said, absolutely not. I never had those kinds of dreams. I had. I had, you know, I was raised in a military family. My mother was.

Worked for the Bureau of Indian affairs for 25 years. We were. My dad gave us a strong middle class upbringing. I went to 13 public schools before I graduated from high school in Albuquerque.

And so I wasn't born into something I didn't have to live up to, a legacy. My dad wasn't a Supreme court justice or a.

I mean, we were just normal, regular, everyday Americans working, you know, my parents working to keep a roof over our heads. And so when I think about what motivates me, and certainly Miguel Trujillo with respect to indian voting, absolutely motivated me.

And that's really where I got my start.

It was organizing an indian country to make sure that our people got out to vote for elections, because I think that's the way we make our voices heard. And so, you know, that's where I started. That's one thing led to another eventually.

I felt like if I ran for office, perhaps I would, you know, we would have a larger voice and I could get more people out to vote. So my motivation behind running for public office was really because I wanted more native folks to get out and vote.

So I think that when I think about my career, it really is, it started essentially from scratch.

And I am just grateful that along the way, I've been able to maybe inspire people to also run for office, that I've been able to help people to understand that their voices matter and that, you know, there are ways of ensuring that we can move forward with a better future for the people we care about.

And so I think, you know, what I, what I feel like is important for people to know is that you don't just, you know, you don't just show up somewhere. There's nothing that will replace hard work, right.

If you want to run for office or you want to be involved in making sure that your people have a voice, it takes a lot of hard work, and nothing can replace that. So I'm proud of the work that I've always done to, you know, for people to join and be a part of, you know, to express their voice.

And so I'm grateful now, of course, to have the opportunity I have at the Department of the Interior.

Thinking back to those, those first early days when you were running for office, was there maybe an incident or something that happened that sort of pushed you into that direction where you said to yourself, this is what I'm going to go for. This is what I'm going to try?

Well, I think that I don't know about, for anyone, but for me, when I started working on campaigns, when I started organizing and getting people out to vote, that kind of grabs a hold of you. And I, you know, once I started working on campaigns, I absolutely wanted to work on campaigns every, every election cycle. So I would join.

I just feel that electing people who care about the issues that I care about is important to me. And so, I mean, you know, once I started, I love campaigns.

I love when candidates are out there talking about, you know, issues that will move our country forward. And I just think it's important for us to have our voices in that way.

What would you say to the 18 or 22 year old that's listening to this conversation?

I would say, I mean, I would first say, listen to your grandparents, listen to your parents, listen to your aunties and uncles, the elders in our communities, they have knowledge that is so valuable that you can use, and you never know how that knowledge will benefit you in the future.

And I often say, you know, when I was a kid staying with my grandparents at the village of Masita on the Laguna Pueblo, my older cousins and my sisters, they'd always run out the door and run away from me like I was the youngest, so they didn't want me hanging out with them. So oftentimes I'd be the only kid, you know, the youngest kid at home. And my grandfather would just say, well, come with me to the field.

So I'd go with him down to his cornfield. And there I learned so much about nature, about growing corn, about worms, and, you know, all these things.

And I feel like now that knowledge that my grandfather taught me in his cornfield, it's benefiting me right now as the secretary of the interior. So you never know how the knowledge you receive as a young, you know, as a person of young years, you don't know how that knowledge will benefit you.

So I would say to any 18 or 22 year old, sit down with your grandparents and talk to them and take that knowledge into you so that you have opportunities to use that at a later time.

That's wonderful. That brings back memories of my father taking me through his garden and having very similar experience when I was younger. That's wonderful.

The fifth question, I feel this is a very important question. Could you share? Can you tell me the secret of what makes a great salsa?

A number of, I think of our mutual friends have talked about your fantastic cooking abilities, and I. I'm just really curious.

So, of course, being from New Mexico, I would have to say that the secret to great salsa is using New Mexico chili, local New Mexico chili. And I'll be honest with you, whenever I go home, that's what I do, is I make sure that I bring chili back to Washington, DC, with me.

But we have the best climate, the best elevation, the best water. Everything you need to grow perfect chili is in New Mexico. And so that's what I have used and what I will always use for my salsa.

Now, there's different kinds of salsa. You can make red chili salsa. You can make green chili salsa.

You can, you know, there's a plethora of ways to be creative, but I think, foundationally, you need to start with really good chili. And that is from New Mexico.

Fair enough. Absolutely fair enough. Well, I have a destination to go to now to experience that. Well, I want to be respectful of your time.

I know you're quite busy.

Hopefully next time, I would love to be able to talk about indigenous food sovereignty and this new movement that's a taking place in America where we're getting control of our narrative back and which involves food. And I would love to have a conversation with you about that.

Absolutely.

And, you know, food is, you know, my grandparents, whenever we would eat dinner together or have a meal together, that's the time when they would give us advice about things, right? Yes. Yes. We should absolutely have that conversation because it's important.

It's not only, you know, what you cook, it's what it means and the history behind it.

Madam Secretary, thank you so much for being on this program. This was an absolute honor to have you here.

Thank you so much, Joe. It was my honor to be with you, and thanks again so much.

And that does it for this episode of five plain questions. I want to thank Secretary Holland again for her time and sharing her story with us.

It's not lost on me the magnitude of the accomplishment that Secretary Haaland had in being selected and nominated for this position that she's in. Not just for indian country, for us, having a representative there, but for the country as a whole.

To have an indigenous person as the secretary of the interior is.

It's not just a huge personal accomplishment on her end, but it's an acknowledgement by the United States that this is indian country, that this is indian land. And I use the word Indian in the legal american context. Of course, we are indigenous.

We are native american, and we come from our own nations that are hugely, hugely important. But in context of legal american language, that's the language that has. That is on the books currently.

So for her to take time for this podcast to share her story with us is something that is something I'm incredibly grateful for, and this opportunity is now lost on me. That said, you know, it's. Let's. Let's acknowledge how great southwestern salsa and chili is.

You know, I look forward to the day when two arrows salsa may come back and be available for us.

I've heard from multiple people, including a close personal friend and our mutual friend, Alexandra Harris, of how great that salsa was back in the day. And I feel like my life won't be complete unless I am able to enjoy that at some point. But, you know, that's.

That's a personal goal that I hope you share as well. So. Yeah. So, Secretary Holland, thank you so much, and to her team for making this happen. I am deeply indebted for, for this opportunity. So thank you.

And I want to thank you for joining us and spending your time listening to what I feel is a very important story and perspective from our community. And that does it for season four of the podcast. It's been a long year. It's been a long four seasons.

And I want to thank you for spending and investing your time coming back, episode after episode to what has been an incredibly important and meaningful program for myself. And so I thank you for that. Well, that does it for me. Thank you for this experience, and I'll be seeing you around.

This has been an eleven warrior arts production.