Secretarial Election at Pueblo of Laguna

Positioned in the foothills of Kaweshtima (the Keresan name for Mount Taylor), the Pueblo of Laguna is one of 19 pueblos in New Mexico. In the 19^th century, Laguna incorporated governors and lieutenant governors in a secular leadership structure as points of contact for the Spanish and later the Mexican governments. In 1908, the Pueblo adopted a written constitution and, in 1949, an Indian Reorganization Act constitution creating a tribal council with representation from the six Laguna villages. The amended constitution included language requiring the Secretary of the Interior to approve future amendments and certain other aspects of Laguna governance. In 2012, Laguna citizens voted to remove the Secretary of the Interior approval clause as an exercise of self-determination and self-government.