Deb Haaland: First Native American Cabinet Secretary
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
Haaland right wears a ribbon skirt to her swearing-in ceremony Her skirt features a cornstalk and butterflies Another of Haaland’s top priorities was to address climate change so that lands and resources won’t be damaged beyond repair She promised to deal with environmental issues that affect communities including health problems related to pollution Haaland said Every single decision that we make today is going to impact generations to come 10
Early Years Guwaadzi hauba greetings This simple act of introduction in the Keres language speaks of a deep connection to place and people Keres is one of many Indigenous languages spoken in New Mexico Deb Haaland is an enrolled citizen of a Keres-speaking nation known as Laguna Pueblo located about 45 miles 72 km west of Albuquerque New Mexico Six villages make up Laguna Pueblo Sovereign Nations Sovereignty is the authority to govern and make laws Native American nations existed long before the United States The US Constitution and federal laws still recognize their sovereignty This means Native Americans have a unique relationship with the US government Native Americans belong to three polities or distinct political entities They are US citizens members of the state where they live and citizens of their tribal nation There are currently 574 Native American nations within the US each with its own distinct governing bodies language and customs 11
