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From Levi Rickert
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Local election 2024. CHICAGO – Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) took the national stage Thursday night in prime time, the final session of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The speaker introduced her as Deb Haaland, former congresswoman for New Mexico. She was not present in her official capacity as U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Although she did not represent the department she heads, she represented Indian Country. She wore a white outfit with a white, multi-colored ribbon skirt. She paired her outfit with Native American jewelry, including a necklace and long dangling earrings.
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“Gu’wha’tzi,” Haaland began her speech in the Keres language, which is spoken by tribes in New Mexico, including her own people, the Laguna Pueblo. She introduced herself by her Keres name, which means “crushed turquoise,” and said she is from the Turquoise Clan.
“Thirty-five generations ago, my ancestors built their lives in the high desert of New Mexico. It is because of them that I am standing on this stage tonight,” Haaland said.
She recalled fishing with her father and running through the desert with her cousins as a child, where she learned the responsibility we have to protect our planet.
“Donald Trump never learned that lesson. He called the climate crisis a hoax. He made it easier for big corporations to poison our air and water. An American president must lead the world in the fight against climate change,” Haaland said.
“We need a president who understands this task. That’s Kamala Harris,” she continued. “I know her record.”
Haaland pointed out that Harris held polluters accountable for the oil spill in San Francisco Bay. She also mentioned that Harris was the deciding vote for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included funds for electric vehicle tax credits, which included the most ambitious climate action plan in the country’s history.
“Let me go back to the lesson I learned in the desert Southwest: We all have a role to play in protecting our Earth for future generations,” Haaland said.
On Thursday evening, the fourth and final night of the convention, television audiences peaked at 28.9 million during Vice President Harris’ acceptance speech, according to Nielsen.
Haaland is the 54th Secretary of the Interior. When she was sworn in as Secretary of the Interior in March 2021, she became the first Native American to serve as a secretary in a presidential cabinet.
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