Juan Josue Martinez

Dr. R. Reid

POLS 4325

Teaching Module: Indigenous Peoples & Democratic Representation

To best understand how under-represented Indigenous Peoples are in the American

government, I have created three posters which highlight Indigenous Peoples who have served in

the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branch, and highlight facts about representation.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE & DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATION

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Secretary of the Interior

BIO. Secretary Deb Haaland is the 54th secretary of the Interior, and the first Indigenous Cabinet secretary. Prior to her confirmation, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District. Prior, she was the chair of the New Mexico Democratic Party, the first Indigenous person to lead a state party. She is a member of the Pueblo of Laguna.

CONFIRMATION. On March 15, 2021, she was confirmed by the United States Senate by a vote of 51 to 40, with 9 Senators not voting. Of President Joe Biden’s nominees, she is the nominee with the second least amount of Senate votes in favor of her nomination.

POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. During her time in the Lower Chamber, she was considered one of the most progressive members of Congress, supporting legislation like the Green New Deal and Medicare For All. She was a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Her nomination as secretary was largely supported by progressive activist groups, notably

the Sunrise Movement.

CHARLES CURTISVICE PRESIDENT

Charles Curtis of Kansas was the 31st Vice President of the United States, serving under President Herbert Hoover. A member of the Kaw Nation, he is the first and only Indigenous vice president and first Indigenous person to serve in the Cabinet (though not as a secretary). A Republican U.S. Representative and Senator, he helped pass the Curtis Act of 1898 which sought to end tribal governments and further

assimilate Indigenous Peoples, among other things.

AS SECRETARY. While she has only been at the Department of the Interior for a few months, Secretary Haaland announced on April 6, 2021, that the Bureau of Indian Affairs, under a new unit, would begin looking at cases of missing and murdered Indigenous people, a problem which has long plagued Tribes.

0/46 INDIGENOUS PRESIDENTS

1/49 INDIGENOUS VICE PRESIDENTS

1/ 350+ INDIGENOUSCABINET SECRETARIES

U.S. DEPARTMENTOF THE INTERIOR

Founded on March 3, 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior, among other things, oversees relations between the United States and Indigenous Tribes. Within Interior are the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee, dedicated specifically to Indigenous issues. Underneath the Interior secretary, an assistant secretary for Indian Affairs ensures that the United States is fulfilling its responsibilities to Tribes and maintains Federal-Tribal relationships. The current assistant secretary is Darryl LaCounte, a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.

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DEB HAALAND

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES & DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATION

Indigenous Peopleelected to the U.S.

House in 2020*

6/435 0/100Indigenous Peopleelected to the U.S.

Senate in 2020

LEG I SLAT IVEB R A N C H

SHARICE DAVIDS

KAIALI’IKAHELE

TOMCOLE

MARKWAYNEMULLIN

YVETTEHERRELL

R-OklahomaChickasaw

D-KansasHo-Chunk

R-New MexicoCherokee

D-HawaiiNative Hawaiian

R-OklahomaCherokee

Deb Haaland, elected in 2020, resigned her seat to serve as secretary of the Interior.

18 200+INDIGENOUS PEOPLE HAVE SERVED

IN CONGRESS* INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

HAVE SERVED INSTATE LEGISLATURES

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Born to a Black father and Cherokee mother, Richard H. Cain was one of the first Black representatives and first Indigenous representatives in the United States House, representing South Carolina’s 2nd Congressional District. A abolitionist Methodist pastor, he worked to pass anti-segregationist legislation after the Civil War during his tenure. He was given the nickname “Daddy Cain” — an indication of his paternal involvement in social justice and civil rights.

1825-1887

INTE

RS

EC

TIO

NS

RICHARD H. CAIN

*This number includes Native Hawaiians.

CHEROKEENATIONIn 1835, the U.S. government

signed the Treaty of New Echota, which provided for the inclusion of a Cherokee delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2019, the Nation indicated that they would, for the first time, send a delegate — Kimberly Teehee.

She has not been seated.

JUDICIAL BRANCHI N D I G E N O U S P E O P L E S & D E M O C R A T I C R E P R E S E N T A T I O N

0INDIGENOUSSUPREME COURTJUSTICES

ADA BROWN

DIANEHUMETEWA

DISTRICT JUDGE,ARIZONA

DISTRICT JUDGE,TEXAS

ONLY 4 INDIGENOUSPEOPLE HAVE SERVED

AS FEDERAL JUDGES

HOPI CHOCTAW NATION

2/870CURRENT

INDIGENOUSFEDERALJUDGES

JUDGE DIANE HUMETEWA WAS THE FIRST FEMALE INDIGENOUS FEDERAL JUDGE CONFIRMED BY

THE U.S. SENATE. SHE WAS NOMINATED BY PRESIDENT

OBAMA IN 2013.

THERE ARE

2,500NATIONALLY IDENTIFIED INDIGENOUS LAWYERS, A

SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.

JUDGE ADA BROWN WAS NOMINATED BY

PRESIDENT TRUMP IN 2019. SHE IS BOTH

BLACK AND INDIGENOUS, AND

WAS THE YOUNGEST JUDGE IN TEXAS

PRIOR.

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Works Cited

Poster 1: Executive Branch

Chavez, Nicole. “Deb Haaland creates unit to investigate killings and disappearances of

Indigenous people.” CNN, https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/04/06/us/deb-haaland-native-

american-missing-murdered-unit/index.html. Accessed 17 March 2021.

“Leadership.” U.S. Department of the Interior, https://www.bia.gov/leadership. Accessed 17

March 2021.

“Secretary Deb Haaland.” U.S. Department of the Interior, https://www.doi.gov/secretary-deb-

haaland. Accessed 17 March 2021.

Poster 2: Legislative Branch

Aratani, Lauren. “Record number of Native American women elected to Congress.” The

Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/04/native-american-women-

elected-congress-record-number. Accessed 17 March 2021.

“CAIN, Richard Harvey.” History, Art, & Archives of the U.S. House of Representatives, https://

history.house.gov/People/Detail/10470?ret=True. Accessed 17 March 2021.

Lockheart, P.R. “The Cherokee Nation says it has a right to a congressional delegate. Now it

wants Congress to fulfill its promise.” Vox, https://www.vox.com/identities/

2019/9/4/20849711/cherokee-nation-congress-kimberly-teehee-native-americans.

Accessed 17 March 2021.

Poster 3: Judicial Branch

“American Indian Judges on Federal Courts.” Federal Judicial Center, https://www.fjc.gov/

history/judges/search/american-indian. Accessed 17 March 2021.

Benallie, Kalle. “Native American judge blazes trail in federal courts.” Indian Country Today,

https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-world/2020/03/14/native-american-judge/. Accessed

17 March 2021.

Jennings, Chris. “ADA BROWN SERVES TO INSPIRE OTHERS.” Choctaw Nation, https://

www.choctawnation.com/ada-brown-serves-inspire-others. Accessed 17 March 2021.

Note: All images used are in the Public Domain.