US Rep. Debra Haaland, a Pathfinder for all Natives
Wednesday, March 10, 2021
One of the great privileges in being married to Joanne Shenandoah is the opportunity to travel across the world and throughout North America to assist in her performances and to meet the thousands of fans who come to hear her music.
We have visited New Mexico, the ancient home of the Iroquois, many times and among those who were in one of her audiences was Debra Haaland a single mom from the Laguna Nation west of Albuquerque.
Ms. Haaland is, like Joanne, a path finder and a path maker, one who has pressed forward with her goals regardless of the challenges in front of her. She enrolled at the University of New Mexico when she was 28, graduated six years later then continued to work as a student at UNM’s law school. Her innate abilities as an organizer secured her the position of director at the San Felipe Pueblo on the Rio Grande before she was asked to serve as chairperson of the state’s Democratic Party in 2015 which was in disarray having suffered electoral defeats for governor, congress and senate.
Ms. Haaland turned the Democrats back into winners and during her tenure the party was returned to the governorship and had new congressional representatives. She was urged to run for Congress as a representative and won in 2018. She was, along with Sharice Davids from Kansas, the first two indigenous female representatives in American history.


Doug George-Kanentiio, Akwesasne Mohawk, is the
vice-president of the Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge. He has served
as a Trustee for the National Museum of the American Indian, is a former land
claims negotiator for the Mohawk Nation and is the author of numerous books and
articles about the Mohawk people. He may be reached via e-mail at:
Kanentiio@aol.com or by calling 315-415-7288.
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