{"id":28197,"date":"2022-09-15T10:52:37","date_gmt":"2022-09-15T14:52:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indianz.com\/News\/?p=28197"},"modified":"2022-09-15T21:34:42","modified_gmt":"2022-09-16T01:34:42","slug":"just-a-terrific-week-native-women-break-new-ground-in-nations-capital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/15\/just-a-terrific-week-native-women-break-new-ground-in-nations-capital\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Just a terrific week&#8217;: Native women break new ground in nation&#8217;s capital"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/05jbmhbHBhs?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Indianz.Com Video: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/05jbmhbHBhs>&#8216;I am humbled and deeply honored&#8217;: Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) &#8211; First Alaska Native in U.S. Congress<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<div class=\"h1-responsive\">&#8216;Just a terrific week&#8217;<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Native women continue to break new ground in nation&#8217;s capital<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"date\">Thursday, September 15, 2022<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"byline\">By Acee Agoyo<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"source\">Indianz.Com<\/div>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<strong>CORRECTION: An incorrect reference to Elizabeth Carr being an attorney has been removed from the original post.<\/strong>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C. &#8212; It&#8217;s been a banner week for Native women trailblazers at all levels of U.S. government.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nOn Monday, the White House announced  Elizabeth Carr, a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.saulttribe.com\/>Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians<\/a>, as the first-ever Tribal Advisor to the Director of the <a href=https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/omb\/>Office of Management and Budget<\/a>. The creation of such a position  has  long been sought by Indian Country as part of the government&#8217;s trust and treaty obligations.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nAlso on Monday, Lynn Malerba, the lifetime chief of the <a href=https:\/\/www.mohegan.nsn.us\/>Mohegan Tribe<\/a>, was sworn in as  Treasurer of the United States. She is the first Native woman  whose  <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/21\/historic-appointment-tribal-leader-named-treasurer-of-the-united-states\/>name and signature will be appearing on U.S. currency<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThen  on Tuesday, <a href=https:\/\/www.marypeltola.com>Mary Peltola<\/a> became the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/01\/it-is-a-good-day-alaska-native-woman-makes-history-at-the-polls\/>first Alaska Native woman to serve in the U.S. Congress<\/a>. The Yupi&#8217;k trailblazer was celebrated well into the evening as crowds in the nation&#8217;s capital cheered her swearing-in to the <a href=https:\/\/www.house.gov\/>U.S. House of Representatives<\/a>.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/myeZw0fnGqA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">ICT: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/myeZw0fnGqA>Voting rights on the table<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;We&#8217;ve had a terrific run, right, in the past couple of years in terms of\r\nbreaking, you know, the glass ceiling for for women and and being led by\r\nindigenous women,&#8221; Holly Cook-Macarro, a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.redlakenation.org\/>Red Lake Nation<\/a> who has worked in Indian law and policy for three decades, said on the <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/myeZw0fnGqA>ICT newscast<\/a> on Wednesday.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;But every time, it gets me personally just right there to watch and\r\nto see,&#8221; Cook-Macarro stated. &#8220;And  the historic nature of it is also, I think, added to by everyone&#8217;s personal stories about how they got there,  what the representation means.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n&#8220;So it has been really just a terrific week,&#8221; she observed.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n<div class=row><div class=col-7><a href=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/15\/just-a-terrific-week-native-women-break-new-ground-in-nations-capital\/elizabethcarr-2\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-28209\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1334\" data-attachment-id=\"28209\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/15\/just-a-terrific-week-native-women-break-new-ground-in-nations-capital\/elizabethcarr-2\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15\/ElizabethCarr.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"1000,1334\" data-comments-opened=\"0\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;4&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;Canon EOS 5D Mark III&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1652783239&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;90&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;400&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0.016666666666667&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Elizabeth Carr\" data-image-description=\"&lt;p&gt;Elizabeth Carr&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Elizabeth Carr. Photo courtesy Indian Health Service&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15\/ElizabethCarr-768x1024.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15\/ElizabethCarr.jpg\" alt=\"Elizabeth Carr\"   class=\"size-full wp-image-28209\" \/><\/a><\/div>\r\n<div class=\"col-5 align-self-end\"><figcaption class=\"figure-caption\"> Elizabeth Carr. Photo courtesy Indian Health Service<\/figcaption><\/div><\/div>\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Elizabeth Carr, Office of Management and Budget<\/div>\r\nThe White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is one of most powerful parts of the U.S. government, playing a major role &#8212; and in some cases, final say &#8212;  over everything from the federal budget to personnel matters.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nBut for decades, even as tribes made inroads in getting federal agencies to uphold their  trust and treaty obligations, they found closed doors at this particular White House entity. That is finally changing with the selection of Elizabeth Carr  as the  first-ever Tribal Advisor to the Director at OMB.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe <a href=https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/omb\/briefing-room\/2022\/09\/12\/announcing-ombs-first-ever-tribal-advisor\/>announcement was made by OMB Director Shalanda Young<\/a> on Monday. She said Carr will help ensure President Joe Biden and his administration lives up to their commitments, especially when it comes  historic increases in the budgets for the  <a href=https:\/\/www.ihs.gov\/>Indian Health Service<\/a>  and the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/>Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s an honor and a privilege to serve the Biden-Harris administration and Indian Country in this historic and critical role,&#8221; Carr said in a statement provided to Indianz.Com by the White House. &#8220;The establishment of this position reaffirms the unprecedented commitment of President Biden, Director Young, and the entire administration to uphold and strengthen the government-to-government relationship between the federal government and tribal nations.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;I look forward to building on the accomplishments of this administration in partnership with tribal leaders from across Indian Country,\u201d Carr said of her new role.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nCarr first joined the Biden administration in 2021, as a senior adviser at the IHS, where she has led strategy and implementation of policy for Indian Country. Previously, she worked as a senior Native affairs advisor for the <a href=https:\/\/www.niwrc.org>National Indigenous Women\u2019s Resource Center<\/a>, a Native-women led organization.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\r\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qzjtPFiayms?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<figcaption class=\"figure-caption\">Department of the Treasury: <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/qzjtPFiayms>Secretary Janet Yellen Swears In Chief Lynn Malerba as U.S. Treasurer<\/a>\r\n<\/figcaption>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Lynn Malerba, Treasurer of the United States<\/div>\r\nLynn Malerba, a citizen of of the <a href=https:\/\/www.mohegan.nsn.us\/>Mohegan Tribe<\/a>,  was named as the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/21\/historic-appointment-tribal-leader-named-treasurer-of-the-united-states\/>first Native woman to serve as the Treasurer of the United States<\/a> back in  June. The announcement was made by <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecYellen>Secretary Janet Yellen<\/a> in what was the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/06\/22\/rosebud-sioux-tribe-shares-vision-in-historic-visit-from-treasury-department\/>very first visit<\/a> from the leader of the   Department of the Treasury to  Indian Country.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe pair were back together in Washington, D.C., on Monday for another historic event. Friends, family and other well-wishers watched as <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/qzjtPFiayms>Malerba was formally sworn into<\/a> her position.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;On every step on the trail of life, I have been blessed with people who have believed in me and encouraged me,&#8221; Malerba said at the ceremony. &#8220;It is only for that fact that I am here today.  My parents, siblings, husband, children, sons in law, grandchildren, colleagues, my dear friends, my Mohegan tribal leaders and Mohegan family are those people. They are and will always be my enduring motivation.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nThe ceremony also saw Malerba sign  her name to the currency that will be used by hundreds of millions of people across the nation. It was a defining moment in what has already been a long career of advocacy for the Native woman leader.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;I am emotional about signing this currency,&#8221; Malerba stated, as she noted that Yellen is the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Treasury, during which a historic level of <a href=\/covid19\/>COVID-19 era<\/a> resources have gone to Indian Country as part of the American Rescue Plan Act.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">For the first time in U.S. history, the signatures of a Native woman and a female Secretary of the Treasury will soon be seen on the nation\u2019s currency.<br>Chief Lynn Malerba participated in a ceremonial signing with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BEPgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@BEPgov<\/a> today after being sworn in as U.S. Treasurer by <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecYellen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@SecYellen<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/JfPOeJ5AFc\">pic.twitter.com\/JfPOeJ5AFc<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Treasury Department (@USTreasury) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/USTreasury\/status\/1569410517462040577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 12, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nMalerba used her maiden name &#8212; Roberge &#8212; as part of her signature on U.S. currency.  She reflected on her family&#8217;s personal story in doing so.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;My parents raised seven children with so much love but a lot of financial hardship, and they struggled so greatly to provide for us but they did an amazing job,&#8221; Malerba said. &#8220;Imagine, now their name is on the currency when they found it so difficult to have any in their lifetime and so they are with me today.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nMalerba&#8217;s position as Treasurer of the United States is more than symbolic. In her role, she will oversee the newly created Office of Tribal and Native Affairs at the department. She also serves as a key adviser to Yellen on a range of matters at Treasury.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;We will build on the successes of these past two years to ensure that policy reflects Native voices and Native communities,&#8221; Malerba said at the ceremony.  &#8220;We know that one size does not fit all.  We know that when tribal leaders determine their priorities in concert with their communities, we serve our people properly with respect for our cultural traditions.&#8221;\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n&#8220;We know that when barriers to economic development are eliminated, tribal communities will thrive and prosper,&#8221; she added. &#8220;We know, when there is tribal economic development, our local and state communities prosper as well.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Mary Peltola (Yup\u2019ik) will be sworn into the 117th Congress today!<br><br>Peltola (D) is making history as the 1st Alaska Native woman in Congress. She is representing Alaska&#39;s sole Congressional district in US House of Representatives.<br><br>Peltola will cast first votes after swearing in. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YXRrEv1Y5m\">pic.twitter.com\/YXRrEv1Y5m<\/a><\/p>&mdash; indianz.com (@indianz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1569711342470266882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 13, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h5-responsive sub\">Mary Peltola, U.S. Congress<\/div>\r\n<a href=https:\/\/peltola.house.gov>Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola<\/a> (D-Alaska) is only serving in the 117th Congress for a short time. Having <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/09\/01\/it-is-a-good-day-alaska-native-woman-makes-history-at-the-polls\/>won a historic special election in Alaska<\/a> last month, she has just until the end of the year to carry on the work of the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2022\/04\/25\/he-believed-in-getting-stuff-done-native-land-bill-set-to-advance-in-honor-of-don-young\/>late former Congressman Don Young<\/a>, a Republican who passed away in March at the age of 88.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;Like all Alaskans, I mourned his passing,&#8221; Peltola said after being <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1569711342470266882>sworn in<\/a> on the floor of the <a href=https:\/\/www.house.gov\/>U.S. House of Representatives<\/a> on Tuesday evening.\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nIn paying tribute to Young, who served Alaska for almost 50 years, Peltola shared a word  in her <a href=https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yupik_languages>Yup&#8217;ik language<\/a> that is used when people lose a loved one. The phrase &#8212; <em>Tua-i-ngunrituq<\/em> &#8212;    helped recognize the work the new lawmaker is inheriting,  as well as the promise of the future.\r\n<P><\/p>\r\n&#8220;This isn&#8217;t the end,&#8221; Peltola said as she was surrounded by fellow women colleagues in  Congress, including <a href=https:\/\/davids.house.gov\/>Rep. Sharice Davids<\/a> (D-Kansas), a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/ho-chunknation.com\/>Ho-Chunk Nation<\/a> who was one of the <a href=https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2019\/01\/04\/native-women-make-history-congress.asp>first two Native women in the House<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\u201cAs the first Alaska Native (Yu\u2019pik) woman to serve as a member of Congress, and on the Natural Resources Committee, Representative Peltola is making history\u201d: Rep. Mary Peltola (D), 1st Alaska Native woman in Congress, is joining the House Committee on Natural Resources! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NRDems?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NRDems<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/wEh8Ne3Nt8\">pic.twitter.com\/wEh8Ne3Nt8<\/a><\/p>&mdash; indianz.com (@indianz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1570079599161229312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nFor Peltola, it is indeed a  beginning. She&#8217;s already <a href=https:\/\/peltola.house.gov\/media\/press-releases\/office-representative-mary-sattler-peltola-alaska>staffed her brand new office<\/a> with experienced aides and has <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1570079599161229312>landed a seat<\/a> on the powerful <a href=https:\/\/naturalresources.house.gov\/>House Committee on Natural Resources<\/a>, the legislative panel with jurisdiction over Indian issues  that also oversees a number of areas of <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/indianz\/status\/1570079599161229312>significance to Alaska and Alaska Native people<\/a>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;It is the honor of my life to represent Alaska, a place my elders and ancestors have called home for thousands of years, where to this day many people of my community carry forward traditions of hunting and fishing,&#8221; Peltola observed.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n&#8220;I am humbled and deeply honored to be the first Alaska Native elected to this body,  the  first woman to hold Alaska&#8217;s house seat,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;But to be clear, I represent all Alaskans. I will work every day to make all Alaskans  proud that they have entrusted me to carry their voices here.&#8221;\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nJudging by the huge crowd that showed up to a reception in D.C. following the historic swearing-in, it&#8217;s not just Alaskans that are proud of Peltola. Everyone from <a href=https:\/\/pelosi.house.gov\/>Rep. Nancy Pelosi<\/a> (D-California), the first woman to serve as  <a href=https:\/\/www.speaker.gov\/>Speaker of the House<\/a>, to <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/SecDebHaaland>Secretary Deb Haaland<\/a>, the first woman  to lead the <a href=https:\/\/www.doi.gov\/>Department of the Interior<\/a>, attended the event.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Of all of the amazing things that have happened over the last few weeks, nothing has been as great as being able to share this day in D.C. with my family. I couldn\u2019t have gotten this far without them\u2665\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/ecP0VlM3vs\">pic.twitter.com\/ecP0VlM3vs<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Mary Peltola (@MaryPeltola) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaryPeltola\/status\/1569851243891200002?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\nAlso joining the celebration were <a href=https:\/\/twitter.com\/MaryPeltola\/status\/1569851243891200002>more than a dozen members of Peltola&#8217;s family<\/a>, including her spouse,  Eugene \u201cGene\u201d R. Peltola, Jr., and their seven children. Her husband, who is known as &#8220;Buzzy&#8221; in Native circles, is  Yup&#8217;ik and Tlingit and <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/as-ia\/opa\/online-press-release\/secretary-zinke-fulfills-promise-alaska-new-bureau-indian-affairs>recently retired as director<\/a> for the <a href=https:\/\/www.bia.gov\/regional-office\/alaska-region>Alaska region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs<\/a>.  Two of Peltola&#8217;s  grandchildren and two of her sisters were in town as well for the occasion. \r\n<P><\/P>\r\n&#8220;I couldn&#8217;t do this without their love and support,&#8221; Peltola said on the floor of the House. <a href=https:\/\/youtu.be\/05jbmhbHBhs>She closed her speech<\/a> with words of gratitude &#8212; <em>Quyana cakneq<\/em>.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nBut as Peltola,  whose Yup&#8217;ik name is <em>Akalleq<\/em>,  carries out her duties in the nation&#8217;s capital, she also must continue her campaign at home. She&#8217;s on the <a href=https:\/\/www.nativefederation.org\/ournativevote\/>ballot in Alaska<\/a> this November, hoping  to secure a full term in office as the state&#8217;s sole delegate in the House.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nFor now, the chamber counts a record six Native people in office for the remainder of the 117th Congress. In addition to Peltola and Davids, the Democratic majority includes <a href=https:\/\/kahele.house.gov\/>Rep. Kai Kahele<\/a> (D-Hawaii), who is Native Hawaiian.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\nThe Republican side consists of  <a href=https:\/\/cole.house.gov\/>Rep. Tom Cole<\/a> (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.chickasaw.net\/>Chickasaw Nation<\/a>, <a href=https:\/\/mullin.house.gov\/>Rep. Markwayne Mullin<\/a> (R-Oklahoma), a citizen of the <a href=https:\/\/www.cherokee.org\/>Cherokee Nation<\/a>, and <a href=https:\/\/herrell.house.gov\/>Rep. Yvette Herrell<\/a> (R-New Mexico),   also Cherokee.\r\n<p><\/p>\r\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">It has taken 233 years for the U.S. Congress to be fully represented by this country\u2019s indigenous peoples. <br><br>Tonight, a Native American, a Native Alaskan &amp; a Native Hawaiian are sitting members of the people\u2019s House. <br><br>Welcome U.S. Representative Peltola to the 117th Congress! \ud83e\udd19\ud83c\udffd <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/AxJ8MH7aLQ\">pic.twitter.com\/AxJ8MH7aLQ<\/a><\/p>&mdash; Former U.S. Representative Kaiali\u02bbi Kahele (@RepKahele) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RepKahele\/status\/1569844856490496001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 14, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<P><\/P>\r\n<div class=\"h4-responsive\">Related Stories<\/div>\r\n<div class=\"related-story\"><a 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government.","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,20,1,14],"tags":[869,2567,78,79,1308,117,157,5,346,88,94,56,360,121,2661,1242,48,129,210,1052,175,2203,3323,243,2202,191,55,359,1386,1387,89,154,1112,44],"class_list":["post-28197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-indian-trust","category-national","category-politics","tag-117th","tag-2567","tag-alaska","tag-alaska-native","tag-american-rescue-plan","tag-bia","tag-consultation","tag-coronavirus","tag-dc","tag-deb-haaland","tag-democrats","tag-elections","tag-elizabeth-carr","tag-employment","tag-fy2023","tag-holly-cook-macarro","tag-house","tag-ict","tag-ihs","tag-janet-yellen","tag-languages","tag-lynn-malerba","tag-mary-peltola","tag-media","tag-mohegan","tag-nancy-pelosi","tag-native-vote","tag-niwrc","tag-omb","tag-shalanda-young","tag-treasury","tag-treaties","tag-white-house","tag-women","no-wpautop"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/15\/LynnMalerba.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcoJ7g-7kN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28197\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}