In March 2021, Deb Haaland was confirmed by the Senate as the 54th U.S. Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American in the history of the United States to serve as cabinet secretary. Haaland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe and grew up in New Mexico, just as 35 generations of her family have done before her. In December, Haaland officially launched the Missing & Murdered Unit for Indigenous people. This unit was created to analyze and solve missing and murdered cases involving American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, driving forward Haaland’s mission of increasing accountability and transparency through her new role as Secretary of the Interior.
