Lynn Trujillo

Trujillo is a citizen of the Sandia Pueblo and also associated with the Acoma and Taos Pueblos.[1][2] She earned a bachelor's degree at Dartmouth College.[3] She earned a University of New Mexico School of Law.[3]

Trujillo worked in tribal law and served as the general counsel of the Sandia Pueblo.[4] She also worked with the Acoma and Taos Pueblos.[3] Trujillo worked as the Native American coordinator for the United States Department of Agriculture's rural development programs.[4] In 2018, she was a lead attorney regarding a lawsuit about how the U.S. Federal Government manages the Indian Health Service, leading to a settlement.[5]

In January 2019, governor Michelle Lujan Grisham nominated Trujillo as the secretary of the New Mexico Department of Indian Affairs.[6][4] Her appointment was confirmed in a 30-0 vote in February by the New Mexico Senate.[6] In this role, she led the state's first missing and murdered indigenous women and relatives task force.[7] She also collaborated with tribal leadership and legislators to enact legislation increasing funding of school districts in the state's Native American communities.[7] Trujillo stepped down in November 2022.[8][7] She was succeeded by nominee James Mountain.[8]

In February 2023, Trujillo was appointed by president Joe Biden as the senior counselor to the United States Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland.[8] She is the first Native American woman in the role.[5][9]