Former Interior Secretary to be honored with Chief Standing Bear Prize

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Nebraska Examiner

By: Paul Hammel - July 28, 2025 4:30 am

LINCOLN — Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Chief Standing Bear Prize for Courage.

Haaland, a member of the Pueblo of Laguna and a former U.S. congresswoman, served as Interior Secretary during the Biden Administration.She will be presented with the award during a ceremony Oct. 13 — Indigenous Peoples’ Day — at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln.

The award is given annually by the Chief Standing Bear Project, a nonprofit group founded in 2022 to recognize those who embody the spirit of Ponca Chief Standing Bear. It was Standing Bear’s legal fight with the U.S. government that led to the recognition of Native Americans as “persons” under the law.

A Project official said that Haaland, a 35th generation New Mexican, is being recognized for overcoming financial hardship as a single mother to earn a law degree and become the first Native American woman to lead a state political party, one of the first Native American women elected to Congress and becoming the first Cabinet Secretary,


Read more: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/former-interior-secretary-to-be-honored-with-chief-standing-bear-prize/

[BoRaGard]

1. .

[lamp_shade]

2. A well deserved recognition.

[oasis]

3. Bravo

[Paladin]

4. I hope trump and his goons don't try to prevent this from happening.

I'm surprised we still have an Indigenous Peoples' Day to celebrate.

[Clouds Passing]

5. I hope Deb becomes our governor.

[duhneece]

6. She was in Alamogordo NM Saturday and my husband got to tell her he cried

It was a great showing for Deb. Ron got to tell Deb that he cried when President Biden apologized officially for the actions of the US government towards Native Americans. She then told him that the person who wrote the statement for President Biden to read was in the room (neither of us can remember her name) but Ron also told her that he happy-cried when the President read it.
It was a great day all around.
I hope she becomes our Governor

[Wild blueberry]

7. Very fitting

Thank you.

[electric_blue68]

8. Congratulations to her! And 35 generations!