A newly elected member of the Kansas House of Representatives honored her heritage by dressing in traditional Navajo attire on the proud day of her swearing-in ceremony.
Christina Haswood, 26, shared videos on Twitter and Instagram of her taking the oath of office on Monday after she won the Democratic primary and ran unopposed for a seat in the Kansas state legislature representing District 10.
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Haswood is the third Native American woman to be elected to the Kansas legislature, according to the University of Kansas Daily Kansan newspaper.
"Just two years ago I was in graduate school, and my greatest worries were about getting a job and student loans," Haswood told the Daily Kansan. “Today, the world has changed."
The youngest member of the Kansas state legislature also gave a behind-the-scenes look at her important day in a TikTok video she posted on Tuesday that has gone viral with more than 500,000 views.
The video shows her getting her hair and makeup ready and participating in morning Zoom meetings before getting help from her mother and grandmother with her outfit.
She is then shown applauding after being sworn in at the state capitol building in Topeka before thanking everyone for their support once she's back at home.
Haswood grew up in Lawrence after her parents moved from the Navajo reservation in Arizona, according to the bio on her campaign website. Her family struggled with poverty, often relying on government assistance programs, but she persevered to earn an associate's degree from Haskell Indian Nations University, a bachelor's degree in public health from Arizona State University and a master's degree in public health from the University of Kansas.
"The future holds more work but it is bright for Native folks," she told the Kansas Defector. "We are too often forgotten in the data and curricula and at the tables of decision making. A wave of momentum is changing that as more Natives file for office, the youth mobilize their voices for change, and communities celebrate their diversity."
The Link LonkJanuary 14, 2021 at 02:25AM
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Kansas lawmaker sworn into office wearing traditional Navajo dress - Today.com
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