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UNM Graduation Events

Keynote: Deb Haaland, United States Secretary of the Interior

Portrait of Deb Haaland

Deb Haaland, United States Secretary of the Interior

Secretary Deb Haaland is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna in New Mexico. She made history when she became the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary. Throughout her career in public service, Secretary Haaland has broken barriers and opened the doors of opportunity for future generations. She was elected one of the first Native American women to serve in Congress and was the first Native American woman to lead a state political party in the country. Secretary Haaland was raised in a military family, and is an alumnus of the University of New Mexico with both a B.A. and a J.D.