Deb Haaland
Secretary of the Interior
Deborah Anne Haaland was born in December 1960 in Winslow, Arizona. She is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo in New Mexico and identifies herself as a 35th generation New Mexican. She earned an undergraduate degree in English from the University of New Mexico. A single mother, she worked her way through school, starting a salsa company, and earned a Juris Doctor in Indian law from the University of New Mexico School of Law.
She served as tribal administrator for the San Felipe Pueblo for nearly three years. She made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico but would later serve New Mexico in the U.S. House of Representatives, taking her seat in January 2019 and serving until her nomination by President Joe Biden to be Secretary of the Interior. She was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in on March 16, 2021.
Haaland has one daughter. She is a Catholic.
In the News…
Department of the Interior Secretary Dab Haaland announced a final rule that will update regulations regarding Class III Indian Gaming compacts. She stated the update would ensure that tribes “have the resources they need to exercise their Tribal sovereignty and support their communities.“
Secretary Haaland said, “Not only does Indian Gaming support Tribal economies, the funding it generates helps to support the vital services that Tribal Nations provide to their citizens—from language preservation to healthcare. By updating these regulations, we will provide certainty and clarity to Tribes for an industry that remains one of the most significant sources of economic development in Indian Country.”
The Interior Department affirmed that the gaming industry and the compacts tribes have with states are “significant drivers of Tribal economic development in Indian Country.“
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Secretary Haaland today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Deb Haaland
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240
