Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary
6 Deb Haaland smiles in her official photo as secretary of the interior
On March 18 2021 Deb Haaland walked into the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington DC wearing a colorful ribbon skirt and tall white Laguna Pueblo moccasins She took a deep breath as she raised her right hand Vice President Kamala Harris swore her in as the fifty-fourth US secretary of the interior Haaland’s family stood next to her in support They cheered when the oath was complete That day Haaland became the first Native American to lead a cabinet agency in the United States It was a historic and special day for her and her family as well as for Native Americans across the US 7
Harris right swears Haaland left in as secretary of the interior Many people noticed Haaland’s outfit Some Americans had never seen a Native American ribbon skirt before They wanted to know more about it Haaland had known that what she would wear to the ceremony was important She liked to pick outfits with special meanings and connections to her identity And she thought a ribbon skirt might be just the thing Ribbon skirts are long hand-sewn skirts that feature rows of ribbon Some have special designs that tell a story For generations Native Americans have made 8
these skirts and worn them for ceremonies In recent years more Native American women have worn ribbon skirts at public political events like the Dakota Access Pipeline protests There are many different teachings about ribbon skirts Generally these skirts symbolize Native American women’s power and honor female ancestors Ribbon skirts unite Native American women and serve as a reminder that all choices and actions will impact future generations Haaland picked a skirt designed and made by Agnes Woodward Woodward is Plains Cree from the Kawacatoose First Nation in Saskatchewan Canada The royal blue skirt was decorated with rainbow ribbons which represent all people The cornstalk design represents Haaland’s Pueblo heritage Haaland asked that two butterflies be added to give the skirt an uplifting message Woodward was honored to make the skirt She said that the ribbon skirt reminds us of the matriarchal power we carry as Indigenous women Ribbon skirts carry stories of survival resilience adaptation and sacredness As survivors of genocide we wear our ribbon skirts to stay grounded in our teachings to stay connected to the earth and our ancestors The symbolism of the ribbon skirt reflected Haaland’s goals as she started her new job In one of her first actions as secretary she announced that she would create a unit focused on pursuing justice for murdered and missing Indigenous women 9
