Deb Haaland: Trailblazing Indigenous Leadership and the Fight for Justice, Representation, and Sovereignty

By: ​Arbay Abdulahi

Deb Haaland is one indigenous leader who I admire because of what she's done. She is a part of the Laguna pueblo tribe and she is most known for advocating for issues that are critical to indigenous communities, including missing and murdered indigenous peoples, environmental justice, and the protection of tribal lands and sacred sites. Advocating for those issues is very important to Deb because it addresses the enduring legacy of historical injustices faced by the indigenous community. 
 
Deb Haaland's career and reputation has been expanding so much over the years. Her political career had begun when she made efforts to increase voter turnout in underrepresented communities which then led to her being elected as the chair of the democratic party of new mexico. Haaland has used her powers to shine light on centuries of oppression and neglect. As for her commitment to environmental justice she has tried to move the department's approach to renewable energy. And because of everything that she has been able to do and accomplish she has proved to other indigenous women and people that they can also make their way up to leadership roles. 
 
Her commitment is fueled by her own lived experiences. Such as struggling as a single mother to afford her child's education and having to do almost everything by herself for her and her child. This is why it is so important to Deb that people are treated the right way and not differently just because of who they are or because of their circumstances. And that is one of the reasons why I choose her to focus on. She is such an important indigenous activist and I believe that more people should learn about her and everything she's done. 

Reference: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/secretary-deb-haalandLinks to an external site.