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U.S. Secretary of the Interior Debra A. Haaland will be Harvard Law School’s 2024 Class Day speaker, the school announced Monday.
Haaland will address the Law School’s 2024 graduates in an address on May 22, one day before the 373rd Commencement ceremonies.
A member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, Haaland was nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021 to serve as the 54th Secretary of the Interior, making her the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary.
In her position, Haaland plays a key role in President Biden’s climate agenda, the protection of federal land, and the U.S. government’s relationship with Native reservations.
Haaland previously served as a Democratic congresswoman from New Mexico and was one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress. As a congresswoman, Haaland focused on issues such as environmental justice, indigenous women’s safety, and family policy.
In a statement to The Crimson, Samantha D. Maltais, co-president of the HLS Native American Law School Students Association, wrote that the NALSA “could not be more thrilled” by the announcement.
“Through her numerous accomplishments, she has paved the way for future generations of Native law students and lawyers, and allowed us all to dream of opportunities that have been closed to Native people for far too long,” she added.
The daughter of two military veterans, Haaland grew up in New Mexico. She earned her bachelor’s degree and J.D. from the University of New Mexico as a single mother living paycheck-to-paycheck.
Haaland most recently spoke at Harvard at a 2020 Institute of Politics Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School, during which she discussed unique challenges faced by indigenous communities and her past in political organizing.
Recent speakers at the Law School’s Class Day ceremonies have included Academy Award-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch ’81.
—Staff writer S. Mac Healey can be reached at mac.healey@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @MacHealey.
—Staff writer Saketh Sundar can be reached at saketh.sundar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @saketh_sundar.
