Home Secretary Deb Haaland’s daughter is a senior member of a radical environmentalist group responsible for a protest at the ministry in October 2021 dubbed “Remembering January 6th”.
Somah Haaland, 28, who is non-binary, identifies as “queer” and uses she/them pronouns, is listed as the Pueblo Action Alliance’s media organizer on the group’s website.
In 2021, Haaland joined her group to protest the Biden administration’s environmental policies in Washington DC. The PAA has long called on the government to protect tribal lands from oil and gas drilling.
Her mother was appointed Secretary of the Interior in December 2020, becoming the first Native American woman to serve as Cabinet Secretary.
Somah Haaland, 28, who is non-binary, identifies as “queer” and uses she/them pronouns, is listed as the Pueblo Action Alliance’s media organizer on the group’s website
At the time of the protest, Haaland posted photos showing the protests on her Instagram page. They wrote in the caption: “What an honor it was to march with my Pueblo relatives for #Peoplevsfossilfuels week of action last week. Tribal peoples are so powerful, especially when we come together and share our stories.”
Shortly after the protest, Haaland posted a statement on Instagram in which she wanted to distance herself from her mother.
Some of them said: “I have my own life and I am politically active in my own way, independent of my mother. I have no influence or control over anything she does.’
Haaland added, “I have major depressive disorder and I’m neurodivergent in other ways.”
Ahead of the protest, Haaland’s group said in a statement, “We will no longer allow the US government to sever our relationship with the sacred knowledge of Mother Earth and all who depend on her […] We will not back down until our natural balance is restored.’
Secretary Haaland said in a Facebook post marking her daughter’s 25th birthday, “I am fortunate to have raised a compassionate human being who was born to learn and to love.”
In addition to her Native American heritage, Haaland is of Norwegian descent. They are 2017 graduates of the University of New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in theater arts.
Minister Haaland has spoken openly about raising her daughter as a single mother and giving birth four days after graduating, also from the University of New Mexico, in 1994.
Secretary Deb Haaland raised her daughter as a single mother and gave birth four days after graduating from the University of New Mexico
The protest, in which Haaland’s group was involved, led to numerous arrests
During the week of the protest, Haaland posted several photos showing her with the group in DC
According to her profile on PAA’s website, Haaland is also a poet and artist. The bio says they have also worked on several political campaigns since high school.
It states that Haaland is “passionate about empowering youth” and “creating art as a form of resistance”.
Haaland wrote a 2019 article for Teen Vogue entitled How Museums and Historical Spaces Disrespect Native American History. They wrote in the play having tea with Nancy Pelosi, taking a selfie with AOC, and meeting actor Mark Ruffalo.
In 2021, they narrated the documentary Our Story: The Indigenous Led Fight to Protect Greater Chaco.
According to her profile on PAA’s website, Haaland is also a poet and artist. The bio says they have also worked on several political campaigns since high school
In a separate interview with NBC News, Haaland complained about feeling “isolated” for being both Native American and “queer.”
Haaland spoke about perceived racial differences in an interview with American Theater when it came to how little support Native American communities received during the pandemic.
They said, “It’s related to the whole privilege thing. People just assume that everyone in America lives the same way they do. And that’s just not true.’
In the same interview, Haaland spoke about her mother, saying: “From a young age she made me feel like doing the right thing and wanting to make the world a better place. I can see her creating this ripple effect of change in multiple communities.’
In a separate interview with NBC News, Haaland complained about feeling “isolated” for being both Native American and “queer.”
They also said hate crimes involving LGBTQ people on reservations are rarely investigated.
Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, spoke to Fox News about the scandal surrounding the protest: “The circumstances surrounding the Home Office riot represent another case in which a government that has promised a return to normal has given up everything other than produced.
“Meanwhile, the American public’s confidence in their government continues to decline rapidly,” he added.
Police arrested dozens of activists after the protest outside Stewart Lee Udall’s main indoor building. Video from the event showed members of the group attempting to gain access to the offices. At least one officer was hospitalized.
That was announced at the time by Interior Ministry spokeswoman Melissa Schwartz called: “Centering the voices of legitimate protesters is and will remain an important foundation of our democracy. It is also our duty to protect everyone. We will continue to do everything we can to de-escalate while respecting First Amendment rights.’