Overview:
Deb Haaland’s historic election as governor and her child Somáh’s personal stories reveal the values behind her public service.
Opinion
Just moments after Deb Haaland’s name flashed across the television screens on Election Night, declaring her as the projected winner of New Mexico’s gubernatorial race, the standing-room-only crowd gathered in the ballroom of Route 66 Casino Hotel erupted in cheers.
Moments later, the governor-elect entered the room, accompanied by family, friends, and campaign staff. The roar grew louder as supporters caught sight of the first Native American woman ever elected governor of a state making her way toward the stage. It was a moment filled with joy, pride, and the unmistakable weight of history.
There could hardly have been a more fitting place for such a historic celebration. Located on Laguna Pueblo about 20 miles west of downtown Albuquerque, the casino sits near the community where the governor-elect spent time as a young girl staying with her maternal grandparents. The land and its people were an important part of her childhood.
The diverse crowd brought together New Mexico’s political leadership and everyday supporters, all united in celebrating Haaland’s victory and the historic significance of her achievement.
The governor-elect’s only child, her daughter Somáh Haaland, introduced her to the jubilant crowd.
Somáh’s introduction, delivered on Nov. 3 during National Native American Heritage Month, offered more than a glimpse into her relationship with her now-famous mother. It also provided a deeply personal window into their lives and the experiences, challenges, and pride that shape what it means to be Native American in modern society.
“To anyone who ever referred to my mom as Auntie Deb, that makes me your cousin,” Somáh said. “Whether you are here in the room with us or listening from elsewhere, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for your presence and for going on this journey with me and my family.”
Somáh described growing up with a single mother, who supplemented their bare-bones family budget with food stamps.
“A sitter was never in our budget, so she took me everywhere with her from the time I was a baby. I would ride shotgun in our red GMC van while we made salsa deliveries, or wait in the UNM Law School library for hours while she was in class,” Somáh said. “And whenever, whenever we came to a community gathering, my mom was always the first person there, and she wouldn’t even think of leaving until the floor was swept and the last dish was done. My mom taught me to make sacrifices without complaining.”
Somáh recounted a Christmas season when she was 16 years old, when there was little money for gifts or to repair the family car, which had broken down. Undeterred, her mom stayed up baking dozens of biscochitos, New Mexico’s traditional cookies, and then placed them in takeout containers. To deliver the homemade cookies, they borrowed a friend’s car. It was a true “Indian car” that would not go into reverse. On a couple of occasions, they had to ask for help backing it up so they could make their next delivery.
“We know that no one person has everything: knowledge, wealth, a car that goes in reverse or goes at all. But it is moments like this that taught me how things are meant to work by thinking of each other, showing up with love, and not being afraid to ask for help when we need it,” Somáh said. “What I remember most from that Christmas is the laughter, the snow, and the smell of biscochitos in the oven, and my mom’s commitment to making people feel loved.”
Somáh spoke about her mother’s love for the people of New Mexico.
“She has always shown me, through her actions, that love is the one plentiful resource that we are able to tap into under these conditions that have caused so many families like ours to struggle,” Somáh said.
“Because love heals, and although our circumstances have changed, her love for this beautiful state and its people has never wavered. From my perspective, some of her biggest accomplishments are not the elections she has won, but the joy and hope that she has instilled in others during the darkest of times,” she said.
Haaland was one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress and the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary. Now, she is the first Native American woman elected governor of a U.S. state.
Somáh’s introduction, though, offered a way to understand Haaland beyond all of her historic firsts: through the work of raising a child, paying the bills and showing up for other people.
During Native American Heritage Month, Haaland’s election gives us reason for pride. Somáh’s stories give us something more to celebrate: the values we should expect from the people we elect to serve us.
Thayék gde nwéndëmen – we are all related.
