We've very pleased that Deb Haaland, a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, is now Secretary of the Interior, the first indigenous American to become a cabinet secretary. Given that the Bureau of Indian Affairs is part of the DOI, her leadership is welcome thoroughout Native American communities.
But another community is also taking pride in the appointment: Minnesota prairie Norwegians. A friend from Western Minnesota, who went to St. Olaf no less, sent us news that Haaland's father was born in the New London area (Kandiyohi County). A Norwegian-American colleague in New London had passed the information along to him.
Update 3/17/2021: We later posted On Dakota land: New London City Council passes resolution congratulating DOI Secretary Deb Haaland on her confirmation. [end update]
He first sent her Wikipedia entry:
Haaland was born in Winslow, Arizona.[8][9] She is an enrolled member of the Laguna Pueblo.[10] The Pueblo people have lived on the land that is now the state of New Mexico since the 1200s and Haaland identifies herself as a 35th-generation New Mexican.[11][12] Her mother, Mary Toya,[13] a Native American woman, served in the United States Navy.[14] Her father, Major John David "Dutch" Haaland, a Norwegian Minnesotan, was an officer in the United States Marine Corps and recipient of the Silver Star for his actions in Vietnam; he was buried with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery in 2005.[13][15][16][17] As a child in a military family, Haaland moved frequently.[18] She attended 13 public schools across the United States before the family settled in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to be close to family who also belong to the Laguna Pueblo.[19] Haaland graduated from Highland High School in Albuquerque.[18][19] She has three sisters and a brother.[13]
And then the link to John David Haaland at Geni:
| Also Known As: | "Dutch", "J.D." |
| Birthdate: | |
| Birthplace: | New London, Kandiyohi County, Minnesota, United States |
| Death: | February 26, 2005 (68) Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States  |
| Place of Burial: | Arlington, Arlington County, Virginia, United States |
|---|---|
| Immediate Family: |
Son of Conrad Haaland and Gunhild Jacobsen |
In Haaland's Find A Grave page, we learn that John David Haaland left New London for California while still a boy:
J.D. "Dutch" Haaland, Major, USMC (retired) SEMPER FIDELIS Major J.D. "Dutch" Haaland, retired USMC, died on Saturday, February 26, 2005, two days short of his 69th birthday. Dutch was born in New London, MN, grew up on a farm and moved west when his father followed the ship building industry to San Francisco. He enlisted in the Marines at age 18 and quickly advanced to the rank of Gunnery Sgt. During the early 60s he was stationed at MCRD in San Diego, as a drill instructor. In June 1966 he was commissioned as a 2nd Lt. He traveled the world on his orders and served two years in Vietnam where he was awarded two Purple Hearts. Heavily decorated, Major Haaland was awarded 15 medals during his career, among them the Silver Star for "conspicuous gallantry" in Con Thien, Vietnam. In the early seventies, Dutch served as the Inspector Instructor at the Marine Corps Reserves in Albuquerque before going to his last duty station, prior to his retirement, in Twenty-Nine Palms, CA. He returned to Albuquerque, lived in Florida for a decade, and came back to Albuquerque in 2003. Dutch, a brave soldier and devoted father, is survived by his brother, Conrad Haaland; his wife, Barbara and her daughters, Amy Candelaria and Julie Pratt; his four children, Denise Kirksey, Zoe Magee, Debra Haaland, and Judd Haaland and their mother, Mary Toya. . .
In the Usa Today article, Our ancestors' dreams come true': Deb Haaland becomes the nation's most powerful Native American leader, Marco della Cava and Deborah Barfield Berry reported:
Debra Anne Haaland, known as Deb, was born December 2, 1960, in Winslow, Arizona. A military brat and one of five children, Haaland attended 13 public schools around the country before settling in New Mexico.
Haaland's sense of service was seeded by her parents. Her mother, Mary Toya, was in the Navy and worked as a federal employee in Indian education, while her father, John David, also known as J.D. and "Dutch," was a 30-year Marine who was awarded the Silver Star for saving six lives in Vietnam.
Although Haaland is proud of her father's Norwegian heritage — The Norwegian American trumpeted her 2018 Congressional win with the headline "Norwegian American Deb Haaland makes history" — her mother's Pueblo Indian roots are foundational to her identity and were reflected in the elaborate turquoise, black and red outfit Haaland wore for her swearing-in ceremony.
In October 2019, Roll Call reported in Former ‘military brat’ Deb Haaland honors dad at Marine Corps Marathon:
Rep. Deb Haaland grew up a “military brat,” bouncing from base to base as the daughter of a U.S. Marine Corps officer. The New Mexico Democrat’s father, Maj. J.D. “Dutch” Haaland, served in the military for 30 years, and during that time he deployed for a two-year tour in Vietnam, where he earned two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry” in Con Thien.
Haaland wrote her dad letters almost daily. She would later find a trove of those notes after his death in February 2005. As a child, Haaland didn’t exactly understand the stakes of war, but when her dad returned home from Vietnam, she noticed that he would sometimes cry during evening news broadcasts on the war.
[Haaland recalls struggles as single mom, Thanksgiving and being homeless]
All of this was on the congresswoman’s mind when she completed the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday. Haaland endured an early morning torrential downpour before finishing the race in the bright sunshine. While she may have turned in the “slowest time” she’s ever had, an outcome of her busy schedule and “sporadic” training, she says she enjoyed the leisurely pace and the opportunity to interact with the Marines.
“It’s really awesome,” says the 58-year old Haaland. “At the end of the race, there are Marines lining both sides, shaking your hand and saying, ‘Congratulations,’ and then you get a medal.” She describes one section of the race as particularly moving. The “wear blue mile” honors those killed in action by hanging up their photographs. . . .
Meanwhile, a childhood spent on military bases led Haaland to team up with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., on a bill that would tighten standards for privatized military housing after reports of lead paint, vermin infestations, fecal and urine trails, and flooding caused by inadequate maintenance. The bill was included as a provision in the House-passed version of the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. . . .
But Haaland, the first Native American woman to serve in Congress, wasn’t surprised she enjoyed the experience, considering the prevalence of distance running in her heritage as a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe.
“You know, we Pueblo Indians, we’re known for our running,” she says, noting a family member who won the Pikes Peak Ascent, an almost 8,000-foot rise across 13.3 miles in Colorado. “There are a lot of Pueblo Indian runners who have run those who are tremendous athletes, and I just feel like that’s one of our traditional points of athleticism.”
We're not going to underestimate this Laguna Pueblo citizen and Biden cabinet member.
Given the high rate of military service by indigenous Americans, it's fairly commonplace for those serving to marry non-Indians. Our beau--for example--an elder citizen in the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, is the son of a man who served as an Army combat medic in World War II; his father married a Danish refugee after being discharged in the Los Angeles area. Our friend grew up in California speaking both Dakota and Danish as his first languages.The latter has been useful since he moved back to the Oyate about a decade again.
Photo: Deb Haaland at the starting line of the 2019 Marine Corps Marathon (Courtesy @repdebhaaland / Instagram, via Roll Call).
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