Debra Haaland was sitting with her mother at Hotel ABQ in Albuquerque , New Mexico , as the midterm election results started stream in . Surrounded by her fellowship and friend , she was prepared for anything . By around 8 p.m. Mountain Time , the airstream was called : Haaland won . She ’ll be fall in the House of Representatives with Kansas Democrat Sharice Davids as thefirst two Native American womenever elected to Congress .
representative - elect Haaland won59 percentof the vote in New Mexico ’s First Congressional District , which include Albuquerque and skirt areas . This was n’t a total surprise ; the polls said she ’d win . Still , she did n’t feel any less grateful about her historic victory . Growing up , Haaland never imagined a humanity where she ’d be represented by someone like her .
“ agency does matter in our commonwealth , ” Haaland tell Earther . “ We need all of us at the table to find the solutions to the issue of our time . You do that by unfold up the door wider than it ever has been and making sure that everyone is represented . ”
Not only did Haaland ’s victory make history and helpflip the House from red to gentle , but it ’s a step onward for New Mexico ’s environmental agenda . Haaland run on a platform dedicated to work out mood change : moving toward 100 pct renewable zip , ending the expanding upon of fossil fuels , put indigenous right front and center , and insure family line across the state of matter have clear melodic phrase and body of water . The query now is , how to do all of that ?
She ’s still picture that out , Haaland said with a laugh . But she imagines a lot of these policies will command the supporter of her workfellow .
“ I ’ll be ready to make indisputable that we map [ these environmental goals ] out and work toward [ them ] , ” Haaland say .
Luckily for Haaland , she ’ll havesome supporton the state ’s frontlines . After closely eight year of Republican leadership , the regulator will soon be Democrat Michelle Lujan Grisham . And Democrat Martin Heinrich , a adept of public lands , win re - electionof his Senate seat . Then , there ’s long - standing Democratic Senator Tom Udall . Both are invested in environmental issue . This blue stronghold may be key in pushing through statewide environmental policy , especially when it comes to oil color and gas .
https://gizmodo.com/deb-haaland-could-be-congress-first-native-american-wo-1829933602
New Mexico is a major field for oil and gas development , especially the Greater Chaco Region that ring the Chaco Culture Historical Park in the state ’s northwest . For many aboriginal American people in the neighborhood , unfettered expansion of crude and gas has come at the price of their health and cultivation .
The Greater Chaco Region is home to sacred sites and ancient burial grounds , and the extractive process of fracking spewsdangerous pollutantslike particulate matter matter and benzene into the aura . Some tribal people trust Haaland ’s winnings will help keep these land protected . Others are skeptical , but now Haaland has a chance to prove the skeptics incorrect .
“ We all care about [ Chaco ] , ” she said in reply to skepticism over her power to safeguard the Chaco region . “ I ’ll sign onto a bill in a pulsation , or I ’ll spell one that protects Chaco Canyon . ”
As for the rest of the country , environmentalists , progressives , and especially indigenous hoi polloi are unrestrained . Who can blame them ? Haaland and Davids — who is also about saving the planetfrom climate variety — made history .
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