Deb Haaland

First Native American Cabinet Secretary

From the Series Gateway Biographies

  • Interest Level: Grade 4 - Grade 8
  • Reading Level: Grade 5

In 2021, Deb Haaland made history as the first Native American cabinet secretary in US history. As Secretary of the Interior, Haaland championed environmental protections and helped restore several national monuments to their former size. She also created the Missing and Murdered Unit and Federal Boarding School Initiative to investigate crimes against Indigenous peoples.

Raised in a military family with Pueblo roots, Haaland absorbed the values of hard work and persistence. She studied English at the University of New Mexico and opened her own business to support her daughter before earning a law degree and volunteering in politics. She ran for Congress and won, becoming one of the first Native American women representatives alongside Sharice Davids. There, Haaland fought hard for the rights of women and served on the National Resources committee. Learn how she honors her heritage as a cabinet secretary.

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978-1-7284-5845-8
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Interest Level Grade 4 - Grade 8
Reading Level Grade 5
Genre Social Studies
Category 5 Kinds of Nonfiction, 5KN: Narrative Nonfiction, Biography, Diverse Books: Feminism, Diverse Books: Race & Ethnicity, Diversity, SEL: B Self-Management, SEL: C Social Awareness, SEL: E Responsible Decision-Making, Social Emotional Learning
Copyright 2023
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Lerner Publications ™
Language English
Number of Pages 48
Publication Date 2022-08-01
Text Type Narrative Nonfiction
BISACS JNF007070, JNF007120, JNF018040
Dewey 328.73/092 [B]
Dimensions 7 x 9
Lexile 1030
ATOS Reading Level 6.9
Accelerated Reader® Points 1.0
Features Awards, Bibliography/further reading, Index, Reviewed, Source notes, Teaching Guides, and Timeline

Author: Jill Doerfler

Jill Doerfler is a professor and department head of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her primary area of scholarly interest is American Indian identity with a focus on Anishinaabe citizenship.

Author: Matthew J. Martinez

Matthew J. Martinez received his Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Minnesota (2008). He previously served as First Lieutenant Governor at Ohkay Owingeh and has researched and published in the areas of Pueblo Indian Studies and New Mexico History.

Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!

Gateway Biographies

Discover the human side of newsworthy, historical, and pop culture figures, and learn about people leading key social movements or handling crises. Each biography in this easy-reading series is peppered with quotations and stories, accounts of successes and failures, and descriptions of… View available downloads →

Calling All Biographies

Give readers crucial context for current events with must-have biographies. Dive into the stories behind important leaders and the experiences that defined them, from politicians making headlines today to under-celebrated historical figures and celebrities. Gateway Biographies Grade… View →

Awards

  • Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, Winner, 2024

Reviews

School Library Journal

“All of these titles portray their subjects in a positive light as the focus is on their achievements and motivation.”—School Library Journal