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Original vote 2024. CHICAGO — Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) took the national stage in prime time Thursday night, the final session of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
She was introduced by the host as Deb Haaland, a former New Mexico congresswoman. She was not present in her official capacity as US Secretary of the Interior.
Although she was not there to represent her division, she represented the country of the Indians. She wore a white uniform with a white skirt of multi-colored ribbons. She accessorized her outfit with Indian jewelry that included a necklace and long, dangling earrings.
“Gu’wha’tzi,” Haaland began her remarks in the Keres language spoken by tribes in New Mexico, including her own Laguna Pueblo. She introduced herself using her name, Keres, which means “crushed turquoise,” and said she was from the Turquoise Clan.
“Thirty-five generations ago, my ancestors built their lives in the high desert of New Mexico. I am on this stage tonight because of them,” Haaland said.
She remembered fishing with her father and running through the desert with her cousins as a child, learning about our responsibility to care for our planet.
“Donald Trump never learned that lesson. He called the climate crisis a hoax. He made it easy for big business to poison our air and water. The American president must lead the world in addressing climate change,” Haaland said.
“We need a president who understands this mission,” she continued. “That’s Kamala Harris. I know her record.”
Haaland cited Harris’s holding polluters accountable for the San Francisco Bay oil spill. She also noted that Harris cast the deciding vote for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included funding for electric vehicle tax credits and included the most ambitious climate action plan in the country’s history.
“Let me go back to the lesson I learned in the Southwest Desert: We all have a role in protecting our land for future generations,” Haaland said.
TV viewership peaked on Thursday night, the fourth and final night of the convention, with 28.9 million viewers during Vice President Harris’ acceptance speech, according to Nielsen.
Haaland is the 54th Secretary of the Interior. When she took office in March 2021, she became the first Native American to serve as a presidential Cabinet secretary.
About the Author: Levi “The Calm Before the Storm” Rickert (Prairie Potawatomi) is the founder, publisher, and editor of Native News Online. Rickert was awarded the 2021 Best Native Media Column in Print/Online by the Native American Journalists Association. He is a member of the Advisory Board of the Multicultural Media Reporters Association. He can be reached at levi@nativenewsonline.net.
Contact: levi@nativenewsonline.net
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