Joe is back with an update on season.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland joins Joe Williams to discuss her historic role as the first Native American cabinet secretary and the significance of her position for Indigenous communities across the United States. Raised in a military family and deeply connected to her Pueblo heritage, Haaland shares her journey from organizing voter registration efforts to holding a key leadership role in the federal government. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on the influences that shaped her career, including trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm and the importance of community voices in politics. Haaland emphasizes the need for hard work and dedication to ensure that Indigenous rights and treaty obligations are upheld. The episode also touches on personal stories and cultural connections, including a delightful discussion about the secret to making great salsa, highlighting the rich culinary traditions of New Mexico.

Secretary Deb Haaland 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.

Secretary 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 is a Navy veteran who served as a federal employee for 25 years at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As a military child, she attended 13 public schools before graduating from Highland High School in Albuquerque.

As a single mother, Secretary Haaland volunteered at her child's pre-school to afford early childhood education. Like many parents, she had to rely on food stamps at times as a single parent, lived paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled to put herself through college. At the age of 28, Haaland enrolled at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and later earned her J.D. from UNM Law School. Secretary Haaland and her child, who also graduated from the University of New Mexico, are still paying off student loans.

Secretary 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.

Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations.

After running for New Mexico Lieutenant Governor in 2014, Secretary Haaland became the first Native American woman to be elected to lead a State Party. She is one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress. In Congress, she focused on environmental justice, climate change, missing and murdered indigenous women, and family-friendly policies.

A powerful dialogue unfolds as Joe Williams welcomes Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to his podcast, which highlights the voices and stories of Indigenous creators and leaders. The conversation shines a spotlight on Haaland's groundbreaking role as the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, a significant milestone for Indigenous representation in government. Williams and Haaland delve into her personal journey, exploring her upbringing in a military family, the influences of her Pueblo culture, and the legacy of Native leaders who came before her, including champions of voting rights and treaty responsibilities.

Haaland shares the deep connection she feels to her roots, crediting her grandmother and mother for instilling a sense of pride in her heritage. The discussion transitions into the vital work she is doing at the Department of the Interior, emphasizing the importance of upholding the trust and treaty obligations owed to Native tribes. Haaland’s commitment to environmental justice, advocacy for missing and murdered Indigenous women, and family-friendly policies reflects her dedication to addressing the pressing issues facing Indigenous communities today.

In a lighter yet poignant moment, the conversation touches on a personal favorite topic of Haaland – making great salsa. She emphasizes the significance of using local New Mexico chili, underscoring how food connects us to culture and community. This episode is not just an interview; it is a rich exploration of identity, resilience, and the ongoing journey toward justice for Indigenous peoples in America.

Takeaways:

• Secretary Deb Haaland emphasized the importance of listening to elders for invaluable knowledge.
• Her career journey highlights the significance of hard work and community engagement in politics.
• Haaland's historical appointment reflects a broader acknowledgment of Indigenous rights in the U.S.
• She draws inspiration from past leaders who fought for Indigenous treaty rights and justice.
• Haaland's experiences demonstrate that personal history shapes one’s commitment to public service.
• Her advice for the youth is to cherish family wisdom and cultural heritage.

Chief Arvol Looking was born on the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. His primary responsibility is serving as the 19th Generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe – a role he was given at the age of twelve making him the youngest pipe keeper in Lakota history. As keeper of the sacred Pipe he also serves as the spiritual leader to the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Nation and advocates for the restoration of the Lakota Nation’s rights to the Black Hills—as guaranteed by the 1868 Laramie Treaty.

He grew up in an era of religious suppression, where traditional Lakota ceremonies were outlawed in both the US and Canada from the early 1900’s until the Indian Religious Freedom Act in 1978. His family was forced to hold Sundance, sweatlodge, vision quests, and healing ceremonies underground for fear of arrest by the police.

Arvol’s advocacy of environmental and Indigenous rights and issues has been recognized globally as a recipient of the Wolf Award of Canada, the Juliet Hollister Award, a Non-Governmental Organization with Consultation Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. He is also the author of White Buffalo Teachings and a guest columnist for Indian Country Today.

Since 1990, Arvol has also devoted himself to facilitate healing to all people and cultures through several sacred Prayer Rides on Horseback including The Annual Wintertime Chief Bigfoot Memorial Ride to Wounded Knee in order to mend the Sacred Hoop that was broken during the Massacre in 1890, The Unity Ride from B.C. to Six Nations in the early 2000s whose purpose was to heal historical trauma through the land and animals, and since 2005, he has supported and participated on the Dakota 38 Ride that takes place every December from South Dakota to Mankato, Minnesota to honor the memory of the 38 + 2 Dakota men who died under order of President Abraham Lincoln the Day after Christmas in 1862 in what was the largest mass hanging in U.S. history.

Jewelry making has been a Reano family tradition for over a century. The Reano family legacy started with Jose Isidro Reano and Clara Lovato Reano. Janie Reano is proudly carrying on tradition. Clara introduced her to jewelry making by teaching her to cut olivella shells to create heishe beads. Then progressing to various stones and shells. Eventually, how to grind, sand and polish the beads. Years later, Janie would expand

her skills under her Aunt Angie Owen. Learning the skills at creating mosaic jewelry. In 2016, Janie branched out at making her own style of jewelry. The influence of living in "Green" Oregon gave her the idea to recycle the left-over material used in creating necklaces and mosaic inlay. Janie recycled the material by drilling each small piece then tumbling them for several weeks. Then, 'stringing' up beads using sterling silver wire. The jewelry was debuted at the SWAIA Winter Market 2016. These days Janie collaborates with her mother, Rose Reano. She sells her jewelry year-round at the Palace of Governors in downtown Santa Fe and online at www.kewaparrotjewelry.com . She also participates at SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market and Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival in Indianapolis Indiana.

Brandon Baity is the Interim Executive Director of the Indigenous Association in Fargo, ND. He is originally from the Twin Cities and moved to the area in 2018. He is a descendant of the White Earth Nation, where his Father and Grandmother grew up. Brandon received his undergraduate degree in social work from the College of Saint Scholastica. He is deeply committed to community organizing, art, music, and learning more about his Anishinaabe culture and language and providing opportunities for other Indigenous community members to learn or teach about their culture. He was a founding board member of the Indigenous Association, and has worked toward the organization's goal of uniting, connecting, and strengthening the Indigenous community in the Fargo/Moorhead region since its inception in 2020.

Indigenous Association website:

https://www.indgns.org/

Cara Romero, born 1977 (Chemehuevi/ American)

In a fine art photographic practice that blends documentary and commercial aesthetics, Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) creates stories that draw from intertribal knowledge to expose the fissures and fusions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural memory, collective history, and futurity.

Romero has held solo exhibitions in the US, UK, and Germany. Her recent group exhibitions include Our Selves: Photographs by Women Photographers at the Museum of Modern Art and Water Memories

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (2022). Her public art projects include #TONGVALAND presented in Los Angeles by NDN Collective (2021); Restoration: Now or Never with Save Art Space in London (2020), and Desert X in the Coachella Valley (2019).

 Widely collected, Romero’s photographs are in private and public collections including those at the Denver Art Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, The Hood Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the MoMA, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the MET. Romero was raised between the rural Chemehuevi reservation in California’s Mojave Desert and the urban sprawl of Houston. She is based in Santa Fe.

Monica Rickert-Bolter is a Chicago-based visual artist of Potawatomi and Black heritage. Her artwork uses traditional mediums, such as charcoal and pastels, graphic design, and digital coloring to create expressive characters and tell diverse stories. After her undergrad, Monica became involved with Native nonprofits, combining her love of art and education to develop youth programs and resources, including illustrating children’s books. She advocates for cultural representation and serves as a consultant for various institutions and organizations. Monica is a co-founder and the Director of Operations at the Center for Native Futures, a Native fine arts gallery that opened in September 2023. Currently, her artwork is featured in exhibitions at The National Museum of the American Indian, The Field Museum, the University of North Carolina Stone Center. Also, she will be collaborating on a public art piece with the Beacon Hill Black Alliance for Human Rights.

Websites:

https://www.monicarickertbolter.com/

Center For Native Futures

https://www.centerfornativefutures.org/

Cray Bauxmont-Flynn is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Delaware Tribe of Indians, with ancestral ties to the Wyandotte, Mohawk, Muscogee Creek, and Chickasaw tribes. He currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of the Tulsa Historical Society and Museum, where he has been involved as a Board member and recently as Vice-President.

In addition to his involvement in the arts, Cray runs his own interior design firm “Amatoya” and launched his own furniture collection inspired by his Native American heritage and culture, five years ago. In addition - Cray is also host of two podcast shows, one being "Beyond the Art," which is dedicated to the Native American art world. It provides a platform for Native American creative visionaries to share their personal stories and journeys. The other podcast – “Beyond the Design” is focused on the design industry and its various sectors..as Cray calls it the left side of his brain, fulfilling all aspects of his interest and passions.

Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo/Korean) is a visual artist and co-founding director of exhibitions and programs at the Center for Native Futures (CfNF), a dynamic contemporary art space in the heart of Chicago dedicated to Native artists. Through her artwork and her work at CfNF she is committed to advocating for positive representations of Native people, and providing a safe and welcoming environment for Native artists to gather, exhibit, and be in community with each other.

Website:

https://www.centerfornativefutures.org/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/centernativefutures/

https://www.instagram.com/yepapappan/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/centernativefutures

https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=debra%20yepa-pappan