WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) condemns the use of a racist trope in an editorial cartoon published by the Albuquerque Journal on November 8, 2026, that included a portrayal of New Mexico Governor-elect Deb Haaland. Haaland is a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, and a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Her election as the first Native American woman elected governor in the United States is a historic milestone.

The cartoon uses a reference to a totem pole to make a point about New Mexico’s ranking and depicts a cowboy wearing the Pueblo of Zia’s sacred sun symbol. The cartoon treats distinct Native cultures as interchangeable and disregards the significance of a symbol sacred to the Pueblo of Zia. Tribal Nations are sovereign nations with their own cultures, unique traditions and histories. Reducing the diversity of Tribal Nations in New Mexico and across Indian Country to a single stereotype diminishes their individuality. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) cultures and sacred symbol imagery must not be used lightly, and individuals or entities that mock them should be held accountable and make an effort to understand and respect the perspectives of Tribal Nations.

“Deb Haaland made history. The Albuquerque Journal used that moment to turn Native identity into a punch line and a sacred symbol into a prop,” said NCAI Executive Director Larry Wright Jr. “Native children deserve to see their culture treated with respect and Native leaders covered with the same dignity afforded to any governor-elect. The Journal owes Governor-elect Haaland and New Mexico’s Tribal Nations a public apology and a clear account of how it will prevent this from happening again.”

Through its resolutions and public statements, NCAI has consistently opposed racist portrayals of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples and communities, including sports mascots and in the media. NCAI calls on the Albuquerque Journal to remove the cartoon, publicly apologize to Governor-elect Deb Haaland and New Mexico’s Tribal Nations, and explain what steps it will take to improve its editorial review. NCAI also urges the Journal to listen directly to the Pueblo of Zia and other Tribal Nations in New Mexico as it takes those steps.