High Country News: Deb Haaland’s Vision for New Mexico Comes From Tradition

Albuquerque, N.M. – Deb Haaland, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Mexico, was featured in High Country News. 

Haaland shares her vision and plans for New Mexico while crediting her ancestors’ resilience for where she is now. The article highlights Haaland as the frontrunner in the gubernatorial race and how she plans to use her Pueblo roots to support tribal sovereignty as governor.

Read her full interview with High Country News or see below for key excerpt:

• If Haaland wins, she will be New Mexico’s third consecutive female governor and the first Native American to hold the office there. Many saw the Democratic primary as her biggest hurdle, but she won by 45 percentage points. She has championed a platform that expands public health care, strengthens state environmental regulations, increases the state minimum wage, leverages energy profits for progressive policies and advances tribal sovereignty.
• [Deb on campaigning in this moment]: Donald Trump promised to lower costs for people. He’s not focused on that at all. He’s making things more expensive, and at the same time, he’s focused on terrorizing our neighborhoods and creating chaos all over, not just New Mexico but all over the country. So people want us to pay attention to the issues that affect them.
• [Deb on beginning conversations with non-native populations about tribal sovereignty]: (Tribes in New Mexico) have been taken advantage of through the many decades. And so, they’re skeptical. It’s up to (outsiders) to develop that relationship, make sure they are being transparent and upfront about all of the information, so that a relationship of trust can develop, and perhaps tribes will get on board with those opportunities and move forward with them.
• [Deb on businesses understanding tribal capital]: In New Mexico, we have a State-Tribal Collaboration Act. We recognize the value that tribes bring to our state, and we also recognize the responsibility of our state to ensure that we are respecting tribes — their sovereignty, their land base, what they bring to our economy, all of those things.