[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 148 (Friday, August 21, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E773]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF ROLAND JOHNSON

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DEBRA A. HAALAND

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 21, 2020

  Ms. HAALAND. Madam Speaker, it is with great pride and deep sadness 
that I rise to honor my dear friend and former Governor of the Pueblo 
of Laguna, Roland Johnson. I join his family and our shared Laguna 
Pueblo community in honoring his memory and life's work, which he 
always dedicated to helping others.
  Throughout his career in public service, Roland led by example, 
always doing the most to elevate the Laguna Pueblo culture and 
traditions that he cherished. At age 22, he was elected Secretary of 
the Pueblo and was the youngest person yet elected to office. In the 
years that followed, he went on to join the Federal Service, serving 
the Southwest Bureau of Indian Affairs region intermittently for 30 
years. In between this service, Roland led his people as Governor for 
three terms (1975 through 1977, 1995 through 1998, and 2003 through 
2006).
  While in office, Governor Roland Johnson bolstered Laguna's economic 
standing and supported job creation by opening an electronics component 
manufacturing plant. Roland also worked diligently to preserve Laguna 
traditions through his fluency of our Native Keres language. Governor 
Johnson incorporated this gift into the work he did with outside 
partnerships so that the tribe's interests were always at the center of 
decision-making processes.
  A born leader, Roland Johnson has left a lasting impression on our 
Laguna Pueblo and has inspired a long and growing list of current and 
future tribal leaders. This is thanks not only to his ability to make 
respectful and practical decisions, but also to his use of traditional 
values to guide his professional career.
  His legacy is rooted in the importance of education: by cultivating a 
solid foundation in the Pueblo tradition, he dedicated his career to 
both preserving Pueblo culture and creating opportunities for the 
Laguna people close to home. Additionally while in office, Governor 
Johnson responded to the need for graduate education support by 
implementing the Laguna Graduate Scholarship Program.
  He will be remembered as an historical visionary--someone who always 
looked to the past to guide his plans for the future. I send my deepest 
condolences to Roland Johnson's family and friends.

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