Celebrating Native American Month

National Native American Heritage Month is celebrated each year in November. It is a time to celebrate the traditions, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. 

One of the most prominent Native Americans today is Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who 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. 

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 was a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque.  

As a single mother, Haaland struggled to put herself through college. At the age of 28, she enrolled at the University of New Mexico where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English. Later, she earned her J.D. from UNM Law School. 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. 

Haaland is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress where she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies. 

Are there any Native American team members or traditions you would like to see featured in The Beat during November? Email us at staffnews@dallasisd.org.